Why Is It Always a Kiss?
by Kat-the-Echidna
Summary: A rookie trainer finds herself turned into a Pokemon after she is tricked into kissing a talking Scrafty who claims to be a human. Now both of them are stuck as Pokemon...
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Quick heads up: this fiction was inspired by the movie "The Princess and the Frog," so there are going to be a few things from it here, but this will be an entirely different fiction. It'll also have some things from "Pokemon Black/White" as well. So don't be all that surprised. I think I spelt some of the town namems wrong too, but i'll go back and correct them after I find the correct spelling.

Just wanted to point that out.

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><p><em>"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, a beautiful princess was taking a stroll through the fields with her Minccino by her side. She was sad; her father was gravely ill, and her kingdom didn't have the proper medicine to heal him. All seemed lost, and the princess worried about her father and the well being of the kingdom day in and day out. She was forced to leave the castle by her ministers to get some fresh air, but even the warm summer day didn't seem to brighten her mood.<em>

_As they walked, her Minccino suddenly sprinted off towards a nearby pond while calling out to the princess. The princess, who never let Minccino out of her sight, quickly followed, on to see her Pokemon poking at a Croagunk._

_The princess, who was absolutely appalled at the sight of the Croagunk, wrinkled her nose and snatched up her Minccino in an instant._

_"Stay away from my darling Remmy, you disgusting creature!" she cried. The Croagunk looked up with the princess, with tears brimming at his eyes, and tried to stand upright._

_"Please oh please, help me!" the Croagunk begged in a horase voice. "I have been cursed by a wizard, and destined to live out the rest of my days as a Pokemon! Only the kiss of a pure and beautiful princess can break the spell!"_

_The princess was taken aback at how the Croagunk could talk, but turned her nose up at the Pokemon anyway._

_"You may be able to talk, but you could be lying," the pricness said bluntly "Why should I believe you?"_

_At that moment, Remmy, her Minccino, hopped out of the princess' arms and scurried over to the Croagunk, who was trying his best to hold back his tears. Curious, the princess watched as Remmy made varies paw movements while making strange sounds frantically. Though the princess couldn't understand her Pokemon, she believed that her Minccino was trying to tell her that the Croagunk was telling the truth._

_"If you can change me back," the Croagunk went on "I will give you anything you want! I am a prince, so I have plenty of money! Just as me for anything and I will give it to you!"_

_"If you can give me anything that I want once I change you back," the princess said "then I want the medicine that can heal my father. He doesn't have much time left, and he won't survive the night without it! I am unable to get it because none of the healers in my kingdom know about any foreign herbs."_

_"My kingdom carries the herbs that you seek!" the Croagunk exclaimed "If we hurry, the medicine can be delivered to your father by tonight! But I'll need to give out a special order to my followers to send it to your kingdom, but I have to be a human again in order to send it!"_

_The princess looked thoughtful, wondering if she can really trust a talking Croagunk. The thought of kissing the Poison type made her shudder, but she would do anything to save her father..."_

**. . .**

"...After thinking about it for a brief moment, the princess finally made her decision." My mom was reading my best friend and I our favorite story. My friend, a girl with long red hair and big green eyes, squeezed her Cubchoo plush tightly as she leaned in towards my mom, who was towards the end. I stayed back, sitting there while my eyes grew wide with disgust as my mom read the last part of the story.

"'I'll help you, little Croagunk," the princess said as she picked up the Pokemon 'but you MUST keep your promise to me!' The Croagunk jumped with glee and actually hugged the princess in happiness. 'I'll keep my promise to you, m'Lady! But we must hurry!' he said," my mom read.

"Here comes the best part," Penelope, my friend, whispered to me. I just gave her a look in repsonse. My mom turned towards us and smiled, but she snuck a quick smirk in my direction. She knew what was coming, and so did I.

"The princess summoned up all of the courage she could muster, and slowly," Oh no... "but surely," Please, no! "she KISSED to Croagunk on his lips!"

"Ewwwwwww!" I cried while Penelope and my mom laughed.

"At the same moment the princess kissed him," my mom continued "a bright light surrounded the Croagunk and lifted him into the air. The princess could feel the magic flwoing through the air and the Croagunk was transformed back into a handsome prince. Remmy jumped with glee as the prince landed in front of the princess while looking deep into her eyes. "Come," he said "Let us go to my kingdom and retreive the herbs for your father. He doesn't have much time left in the world of the living!'"

"Do you really have to finish the whole thing?" I groaned "We already know what's about to happen! The prince get the herbs for the pricness, and princess gives the herbs to the healers in her kingdom to make the medicine, they give the medicine to her dad, her dad gets better, and the princess marries the prince and they live happily ever after. The end...like with all fairy tales."

"Way to be a stick in the mud!" Penelope teased while sticking her tongue out at me. I stuck my tongue back out at her as her pet Purrloin decided to come over and rub its head on Penelope's knee.

"Well, regardless, Aciri has a point," my mom said as she closed the book and placed it back on its shelf "We read the same story every night Penelope. Don't you want to read another story?"

"Nope!" Penelope giggled as she hugged her Purrloin. "I love that story because I want to meet a handsome prince one day and get married and live happily ever after!"

"Good luck with that," I mumbled under my breath. Fortunately, Penelope didn't hear me, but my mom did, and she sent me a warning look. I just grinned sheepishly at her to let her know that I didn't mean it.

"Maybe your prince will be a Croagunk too," my mom said optimistically.

"Ew. You would kiss a Croagunk?" I asked with disgust.

"Yeah!" Penelope said immeditely "I'll kiss a Croagunk, a Politoad, a Palpitoad, and even Bug Pokemon if I could marry a prince!"

"If I have to kiss something ugly, then count me out. I'll just marry some random guy off the streets of Castelia," I said snidely.

"For an eight year old, you sure are smart-mouthed," an older male voice said. I looked towards the doorway to Penelope's room to see her dad leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.

"Daddy!" Penelope squealed as she got up and ran over to her dad and jumped into his arms. "Mrs. Ishun read us a story!"

"Let me guess: The Princess and the Croagunk?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Penelope nodded furiously, and Mr. Garnen laughed.

"Thanks again for babysitting my little girl, Amanda," Mr. Garnen said to my mom.

"Please," my mom laughed "it's a pleasure! Our daughters are practically like sisters after all." Mr. Garnen smiled before he went into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, but my mom instantly declined.

"I don't need it," she said. Mr. Garnen opened his mouth to say something, but my mom cut him off with a quick wave of her hand. "I can manage raising Aciri on my own. It's been hard ever since her father died, but we've been fine." Garnen made a slight face, but ended up smiling a little.

"I'll never understand you, Amanda," he said while shaking his head. My mom just shrugged before she told me to collect my things so we could go back home. I did so, by picking up my bag and my toy Pokeball I carry around with me at all times. My mom and Penelope's dad exchanged a few more words before my mom and I left the two floored house. Penelope and her dad stood out the door as my mom and I walked down the street towards the train station. I waved back at Penelope, and she waved back at me, but then make a kissy face at me just to tease. I wrinkled up my nose at turned away, and I could just hear her giggle.

Fifteen minutes later, my mom and I reached the train station. My mom paid for our tickets and we went over to the benches and sat on one of them. I started to swing my feet back and forth since I was too short for my legs to touch the ground. My long yellow hair rested on my back, with some strands sliding down over my eyes.

My mom and I moved from Johto to the Unova region after my dad died when I was six. We couldn't pay for our house since my dad was laid off his job, so we were cheated out of the house and forced to move. I wanted to stay in Johto, but my mom thought there were more for us in Unova, so we came here after a two day boat trip. I didn't like it here at first, but the place has grown on me. There are so many Pokemon here that I've never seen before, but I do miss the other Pokemon from Johto.

We had to wait for half an hour before our train finally arrived. My mom took my hand and led me to the train, and we sat near the middle while the train filled up with other passangers. After a few more minutes, the train began to move, and we were heading home. My mom sat near the window while I sat in the seat next to her, gazing at the varities of people, trainers and Pokemon on the train. I saw a group of trainers near the back, talking about gym battles, and I noticed a rich-looking woman with a pampered Petilil near the front. I couldn't wait to be a trainer and get my Pokemon, but the Unova region was different. Where in other regions where you became a trainer at ten, here in Unova region, kids have to wait until they're sixteen or seventeen to become a trainer. It sucked, especially for a young kid like me. So for right now, I'm going to trainer's school to learn everything I can about Pokemon and trainers.

I grew bored by the train ride by this point, so I pulled out a book about Pokemon from my bag and started to read it. This was a book I got from the library in Nacrene City once. It's an encyclopedia of all the Pokemon known all over the world, including the legendaries. It was very thick, but I was able to read the entire thing twice. I've managed to memorize just about everything in it, but I still like to go over it just to be safe.

"You are an odd girl, you know that?" I looked over at my mom to see that she was looking down at me while smiling softly.

"How am I odd?" I asked.

"I can't help but to notice your habits," she said "You'd rather have your head in a thick book than go outside and play. Not to mention that the books you read aren't even made for your age. And your speech patterns are that of a late teen, if not early."

"...So you're saying I'm a nerd, right?"

"No. You're just different, that's all. But to tell the truth, I like that fact that you're different from the other children. Makes me wonder which path you'll take when you begin your journey in a few years..." I went silent as I gazed down at my open book, aimlessly looking at the various pictures of Pokemon on both pages.

"Are...are you afraid of me leaving?" I stammered.

"What?" was the only thing my mom could say.

"Dad's gone," I went on "and when I begin my journey, you'll be alone because I'll be travelling...Will you get lonely?" My mom went quiet for the longest time, gazing out the window solemly. She couldn't face me, because she and I both knew that I was telling the truth. She really didn't want me to leave, but at the same time, she did, but was unsure about the future when I _did_leave.

"I've been alone for two years ever since your father died," my mom said quietly "but then...I realized that I was never alone, but only chose to be. I have friends here that will look after me if needed, and Pokemon to keep me company. And you, of course, even if you are far away from me. But I want you to go out and live out your dreams, meet other trainers, make friends, and see the world through your own eyes. And...if you promise me to never let your father's death hold you back, then I promise that I won't let his death effect me either."

"...Okay mom." My mom smiled before she reached over and gave me one of those tight "I love you so much" hugs. It made me feel a lot better, but I ended up dropping my book in the process.

"Drat!" I scowled as I peered over the edge of my seat to look for my book. I found it lying directly under my feet, but it was suddenly snatched away the moment I began reaching for it.

"The heck..?"

_"Sandile!"_ My eyes darted from left to right before I eventually looked down to see a brown and black stripped crocodile thing looking up at me with my book in its mouth.

"Sand-dile!" it said again, extended its head towards me. I knew it was trying to give my book back to me, but I had a fear of reptilian type Pokemon. I don't know why, I just had a fear of them. I whimpered slightly as I scooted back from the Pokemon, bumping into my mom in the process. She looked down at me and was about to ask what was wrong, but then saw Sandile trying to climb onto the seat with the book still in its mouth. I heard my mom let out a small chuckle before she reached over and took the book from Sandile, who smiled at my mom.

"Thank you," she said to the Ground type.

"There you are, Jeremy!" A dark haired trainer girl walked over to us after I got myself comfortable on my mom's lap.

"So sorry to bother you," the trainer said as she bowed "Jeremy likes to wander off, you see. I hope he didn't bother you..."

"Not at all!" my mom laughed "He was quite helpful, actually. He helped my daughter get her book back."

"Oh, am I ever glad!" the girl then picked up the Sandile and smiled at us. "Again sorry if he startled you," was what she said before she went on her way. I stayed on my mom's lap, now getting paranoid at the fact that there are reptilian Pokemon on the train. My mom understood my fear and kept me close, deciding it was the best thing to do since we were almost at our stop.

We finally got to our stop a few minutes later. Everyone disembarked off of the train and went in separate directions. I held my mom's hand as we walked out of the station and back into Nuvema Town, our home. We lived a block away from the train station, so traveling form place to place was easy for us.

It was dark out by the time we got back home; I was tired, my mom was tired, and we were just about ready to sleep as soon as we made contact with a bed, or even the couch. But first thing's first; taking care of your hygeine was always important. My mom helped me bathe and get into my night clothes before she tucked me in while I dranked a glass of warm Moomoo Milk.

"Mom, I don't think I have a dream," I said to her as I sat the glass on my dresser.

"That's okay," mom said as she tucked me in. "A lot of people don't have dreams until they get older. You still need to think about yours."

"But I can't go on a journey without a dream!" I protested "It'll be a blank trip!"

"You don't want to be a Pokemon Master?" my mom asked curiously.

"Isn't every kid dreaming about becoming one of those nowadays?" was my reply.

"How about a Contest Star?"

"Nope."

"Pokemon Professor?"

"That'd be cool, but I don't think that's for me."

"Well you still have a long time to decide. Maybe you should go with your talents." My mom kissed my forehead and moved away from of my hair from my face. "But no matter which path you take, always remember that I'll support you in whatever you do. And your father will be undoubtedly proud of you."

I smiled. "Thanks Mom." I yawned, and my mom tucked me in one last time as I turned towards my side. She whispered "I love you" to me before she turned off the room light and left. I laid there for a minute to make sure she was gone, and then I got out of bed and went over to my window. I opened it, and poked my head out into the night air as I gazed up at the night sky, where the quarter and a half moon sat in the sky.

"To go on a journey without a dream," I said to myself "What will be the point of it?" I continued to look up at the sky, and began to wonder if my dad was looking down at me right now.

"Can you help me, Dad? I wanna know what my dream is. Maybe...maybe you can show me?" Of course, I didn't get a reply. At least, I didn't get the reply that I wanted.

_"Scraggy?"_ I turned to see another reptilian Pokemon standing on the window sill. It was a yellow lizard Pokemon with sagging "pants." A Scraggy. I never liked its evolutionary line; they reminded me of bullies.

I made a slight face and turned away from the Pokemon, and then turned back to see that it was still there.

"I asked for a dream, not a pantslizard..." I mumbled. The Scraggy kept looking at me with this huge round eyes, and then tried to pull up its pants (which I believe is actually a pelt) up to its neck, only to let them go and allow his pelt to fall back down to its hips. Despite the fact that I didn't like reptilian Pokemon, that was pretty cute.

"Hehe...you are kinda cute though," I said.

"Scra..." The Scraggy started twiddling its feet around, and I cocked my head a bit, wondering what was wrong with it. But it must've been bipolar, because it suddenly jumped at my face and had the meanest expression on its face.

_(Scraggy used Leer! It's super effective!)_

I screamed, making the Scraggy jump back and fall off the window sill, and I ran out of my room and towards my mom's room, screaming the entire way there.

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><p><strong>EN:** It gets better. Just have faith in me for once! *^*

I know there are errors in it; but I can't see without my glasses right now, so I'm going to miss a few. Sorry guys..


	2. Beginnings

**A/N:** Wow, this took forever...

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><p>The Pokemon panted heavily as it ran deeper into the Pinwheel Forest. He pulled up his pelt, which he was tripping over due to the fact that he was not used to this body. Who would've thought that two different Ghost types would gang up on him! It wasn't his fault! After all, that Litwick lured him with rumors of power and riches, and that's when his greed took over and he followed the Pokemon like a fool. Now, he was stuck in this form...<p>

The Pokemon rounded a corner before it ducked into a fallen log, and prayed to Arceus that they wouldn't find him in here. He sat there in silence (if you don't count his panting), waiting for them...but nothing came. He let out a sigh of relief, only to suck it back in when he heard rushing footsteps approaching him. He gritted his teeth with frustration and annoyance; he thought he finally got rid of them! Well, there was nothing he could do now but wait. He held on to his pelt and shuffled just a little bit towards the middle of the log, but tilted his head towards the entrance to hear them just in case. He saw shadows approach the log from the left, but they didn't come in front of it. But they made their presence known.

"Dammit!" a man cursed "We almost had it!"

"Don't worry, it couldn't have gotten far," another man said calmly "It's still in the forest. So block off all entrances until we find it. If not, then we'll move on."

"A talking Scrafty is such a rare find!" a woman said "It could be a great use to help our King and Ghetsis of the Seven Sages with the Pokemon liberation. We must have it!"

"We'll get it," the first man reassured "and we'll search this forest like a fine-toothed comb if we have to! Spread out! We'll cover more ground that way." After the others murmured "roger," the group of people went off into different directions in search of the elusive talking Pokemon. The Pokemon hiding out in the log - who was indeed the Scrafty - heaved out a sigh before he laid back against the log.

"I'm gonna be here a while," he murmured as he placed his hands behind his head "Might as well make myself comfortable..."

**. . .**

"And finally, here are your Pokeballs. You're going to need these if you want to catch other Pokemon and fill up your Pokedex, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Yes'm. Thank you very much Professor!" Penelope and I took the Pokeballs and put them in our bags before we walked out of Professor Juniper's lab with our new Pokemon partners beside us. Nine years had past since Penelope and I had to visit each others' house to play. Now, we lived together, and we were finally going on a Pokemon journey with one another as well.

Over the course of years, my mom and Penelope's dad had started seeing each other, and they recently gotten married a year or two ago, making Penelope and I step sisters. By the time we turned seventeen, it was time for us to begin our journey, which is what we were doing now.

Penelope already had her dream planned out; she wanted to a top coordinator in Pokemon Contests. Unfortunately, there aren't any Contest Halls here in Unova, so she's going to work on her and her Pokemon's performance in the Pokemon Musicals instead before she could leave the region and compete in contests. The starter she chose was Snivy.

And me? Well, I'm still the same; I still don't know what my dream is or what I want to accomplish on this journey, but I AM going to collect the Gym Badges just to have _some_thing for me and my Pokemon to do. Though, even after I collect the Gym Badges, I don't even know if I'll compete in the Pokemon League. I mean, doesn't _every_body does that nowadays? I want to do something different and not be like every one else. Though, I'm not so sure on what that might be...Oh yeah, my partner is a Oshawott (and no, I never gotten rid of my little fear of reptilian Pokemon, especially after that incident with that Scraggy!).

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" Penelope squealed as we walked towards the exit of Nuvema Town "We're finally going on our journey! Pokemon Contests, here I come!"

"At least you have something to pursue," I sighed as I straightened out my hat "I have no idea what I want to do!"

"Well it's not like you have to decide what you wanna do in a week or something," my sister pointed out as Snivy climbed onto her shoulder. "Besides, remember what the Professor said? We should have fun on our journey!"

"True..."

"Sha-wot?" I looked down to see my new Oshawott giving me a confused looked while his head was tilted to the right just a little. I couldn't help but to laugh; he was so adorable!

"Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about," I said to him "I'm just thinking out loud." Oshawott looked thoughtful for a moment, then made a gesture that looked like a shrug as we continued walking; we were almost at Route 1.

"Hey, have you given Oshawott a nickname yet?" Penelope asks me once we step foot on the route. "I named my Snivy Ivy!"

"How creative," I rolled my eyes. Snivy - or Ivy I should say - playfully hissed at me while Oshawott took off his scallop ad held it like he was about to attack. "But I have been thinking about a name for Oshawott." Said Pokemon put down his scallop and looked up at me expectantly. I looked down at him and smiled.

"I've been thinking about it ever since I find out more about his evolutionary line. It uses it's scallop as a sword, and they kinda remind me of knights. So..." I picked up the Oshawott and held him in my arms. "I'm gonna call him Lancelot."

"Lancelot?" Penelope repeated "Why that name? It's a freakin' samurai, not a knight!"

"But a samurai is a type of knight, and I didn't want to give it a cliché name like Kazumi or something like they usually do. Besides, you like the name Lancelot, don'tcha lil' guy?" Oshawott - or Lancelot - sat in my arms while it rubbed its chin, deep in thought. He grew a smirk after a few seconds and tried to flex his chest (which he failed at; he was too cute!), which caused Ivy to roll her eyes.

"Well, as long as he likes it..." Penelope mused.

"Oshaaa!"

Penelope and I stopped just midway through Route 1 to look around a bit. It was spring; leaves mixed with pink flower petals danced in the warm spring breeze. The sun was high signaling that it was still early, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Pidove and Rufflet were flying around, enjoying the nice day as well, along with the wild Pokemon on the tall grass.

"Well, it starts here..." I hum.

"Yeah," Penelope adds "No more chores, no more nagging, no more schedules...we can do any and everything our way from here on out." Lancelot and Ivy hopped down and started to explore the route a little. Ivy wanted to go into the tall grass, but stopped herself since she saw the tail of a Patrat protruding from the grass, and Lancelot was holding his scallop like a sword, pointing it at a wild Lillipup that dared come closer.

Hey, Penelope," I smirked as I turned towards her "wanna battle?" Lancelot immediately drew his attention to me when he heard the word "battle" while Ivy looked on as if she really didn't want to. However, her trainer had other ideas.

"You're on!" Penelope grinned. "You may have went to a good Pokemon school and know more than me, but I actually battled before, so prepare to lose!"

"You wish!" Penelope and I stood a few feet away from each other as if we were on a real battlefield. Lancelot, who seemed eager to get into his first battle, ran over and stood in his position in front of me. Ivy, who seemed more reluctant, got into position in front of Penelope.

"Whuu wott-sha!" Lancelot dramatically wailed as he pointed his scallop at the Snivy. For some odd reason, I could imagine him saying "Prepare to taste defeat by my scall-sword, vile serpent!" just then.

Either way. I was pumped about finally getting to have my first Pokemon battle...

**. . .**

"C'mon! It went this way!"

"You won't get away this time!"

The Scrafty smirked as he swung from branch to branch, and occasionally taunting at his pursuers. He held up his pelt and swung on to another branch, while gripping a Pokeball in his free hand. Scrafty had witnessed his pursuers taking a Pokemon from a young trainer because she had lost a battle to them. And since these freaks were going on about liberating Pokemon from people (which was impossible, mind you), he was not about to sit there and allow them to just take people's precious Pokemon, especially' those that belonged to kids! Besides, sitting and waiting in a log was getting boring, and he wanted to cause a little mischief to pass time. And what a better way to pass time by helping someone and causing absolute hell for the bad guy.

Scrafty swung form another branch and did a few stylish flips before landing on the forest floor feet first. He turned to see his pursuers charing at them; those horrible knight outfits made them easy to recognize. He snickered as he ran off towards the exit, which led to Nacrene City, the place where the trainer was most likely at, sobbing at the loss of her Pokemon. He ran through some tall grass, scaring away some wild Pokemon like Petilil and Sewaddle as he ran. He was almost at the exit...just a few more strides and...

...more of his pursuers blocked the exit just before he reached it. How predictable.

"We have you now, Scrafty!" a male grunt that was behind him exclaimed. "Give us back that Pokemon!"

"Wait!" Everyone in the area paused and looked to see another female grunt making her way over to the group. "Perhaps we're taking this the wrong way? Maybe that Scrafty is taking the Pokemon to a more suitable area for it to be released? Since it is capable of human speech, it MUST know of our grand plan to liberate Pokemon from foolish people! It only wants to help us!"

"Fat chance of that, freaks," the Scrafty sneered, making a few grunts gawk at how a Pokemon could speak. "There's no way I'm helping any of you. I mean, you're the biggest hypocrites on the face of this planet! You want to help Pokemon, yet you're abusing them to do so? Even your own Pokemon don't like you! I'm giving this Pokemon back to its trainer, which you STOLE from because she lost the battle. How heartless are you idiots? She was like, seven or somethin'!"

Scrafty let out a heavy sigh, gazed around at the other grunts, who were still gawking at him after that little rant. But the, he suddenly grew a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I'm a talking Pokemon. Big deal. Not like it's gonna help you. Since I know what you guys are _really_ doing, I'm going to do the complete opposite and have people against you and your little scheme!"

"Now you hold on -"

"Eat my dust, losers!" The Scrafty swept his tail across a patch of dirt beneath him, throwing the mud into the faces of the grunts and temporarily blinding them. Now having an opening, the Scrafty weaved his way through the grunts and out of the forest while cackling at them.

Now he as out f the main part of the forest, but he wasn't completely home free. Pinwheel Forest had a marshy extension that was home to even more wild Pokemon that preferred the marshy environment. If he could get to Nacrene City before those grunts realize he's gone and come after him, there's no way they would draw attention to themselves by chasing after a mere Scrafty...a talking Scrafty, that is. Said Pokemon sighed as he began to walk down the path towards the city so he could finally return the stolen Pokemon to that little girl.

Speaking of which, he wondered if the little Pokemon inside was alright after all of that nonsense. Now that he was a Pokemon himself, he could now understand how other Pokemon felt and speak to them now. He took the Pokeball out of his pelt (he put it in there for storage when the grunts blocked him off) and pressed the button to release the Pokemon. The ball opened, and in a flash of light, another creature emerged from the device. A Pansage shook his head furiously before he looked around.

"Wh-where am I now? Am I away from those Team Plasma freaks?" he squeaked.

"Yeah, you're good now." The grass monkey yelped as it whirled towards the orange pantslizard. It calmed down a bit when it saw it was another Pokemon, but was still a little wary.

"You...who are you?" the monkey asked.

"Well, I'm obviously a Scrafty, and I don't think my name is relevant at this point. Anyway, I got you away from those freaks while you were still in your Pokeball. Your trainer is a little girl, right?"

"Yes!" the Pansage cried with happiness "Oh, you can take me to my trainer? Please do! She's in Nacrene City!"

"I know," the Scrafty laughed as he put both of his hands into his pelt like they were pockets and continued to walk down the path "I saw them take you away from your her. Though, I don't think she'll be in the same place now, so I need you to show me the way to her."

"Of course, of course! I know she went to her mom after that, and I know where they would go, so follow me!" Pansage trotted down the path quickly, trying his best to contain his excitement of being reunited with his trainer while Scrafty followed suit, but was more calm about it. Pansage would occasionally stop and urge Scrafty to hurry and he would, for a while. But Nacrene City was not very far from Pinwheel Forest, and the two Pokemon reached the historic city in a matter of minutes.

"Ok, we're here," Scrafty hummed while Pansage still bounced around a bit. "So where's your trainer?"

"This way! This way!" Pansage ran towards the cafe near the edge of the city, which was a little quiet today. Scrafty made a face at the location, but followed regardless. The girl's parent probably took her there to get a cookie or cake or something to help ease her sorrow for losing her Pokemon. Perhaps that's where they would usually take her whenever she's down. That seemed logical.

A few people who were out and about paid no mind to Pansage, but would look at Scrafty every now and then since his species were only found in the slums of Castelia or with other trainers; they're not found in these parts of Unova.

"Good gosh, I see her! I see her! Come on!" Pansage made a squeal as he ran towards the outside tables of the cafe while Scrafty followed. The table in the middle had a girl around the age of seven or eight drinking a strawberry milkshake with dried tears caked on her face. An older woman (her mom most likely) was sitting with her, looking distraught herself.

Pansage made a loud chirping sound as he ran over to the table. Both the girl and her mom perked up when they heard it, but the girl nearly threw down her glass when she saw the grass monkey.

"PARSLEY!" she screamed with joy as she got up form the table and ran to her precious partner. Pansage - or Parsley - jumped into the girl's arms while making a multitude of happy chirping noises while tears developed in his eyes. The girl hugged Parsley tightly while crying how worried she was and how she thought she would never see him again. The girl's mother eventually came over and patted Parsley's head, just as happy to see the Pkemon back with them unharmed.

"I missed you, Mimi!" Parsley cried, even though Mimi couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Oh thank Arceus," the mother moaned "After those Team Plasma goons took you, we were sure you would be gone forever!"

"Who brought you back?" Mimi asked. Parsley jumped out of Mimi's arms and pointed at Scrafty, who was hanging out a few feet away from the group so they could have their moment to reunite.

"A Scrafty?" the mom said "But they're not common around here...are you lost?" Scrafty shook his head, and then held out Parsley's Pokeball. Mimi took it, but tucked it into her pocket for safe keeping until she was ready to return Parsley.

"Thank you," Mimi smiled. Scrafty wanted to say something, but knew that would be a bad idea since a talking Pokemon would draw too much attention to him, and he was tired of running away from those idiots from Team Plasma. So, he just shrugged, letting them know that it wasn't a big deal to him.

"Why don't we give you something to eat?" the mom offered, referring to Scrafty. "There's no doubt that you went through a lot to get our Parsley back, and we want to reward for helping Mimi..."

"Yeah, c'mon Scrafty!" Parsley added. "Even if Team Plasma come back, mother will make sure they won't take us away!" The sound of food made Scrafty stomach growl with hunger; he hadn't eaten anything for two days after his little incident. But, as much as he wanted to stop and eat with the family, he simply couldn't. Not only was he trying to avoid Team Plasma, but he needed to find someone that would help him get his body back. Sure he would make a few side stops along the way, but he already took the time out to help Mimi get her Pokemon back. He had to keep moving, and Striaton City was his next stop.

Scrafty couldn't talk, so he simply shook his head before he took off. He heard Parsley and Mimi call out to him, but he ignored it. He had to keep going. He HAD to. Never again was he going to let his greed steer him into the wrong direction like it did this time. He still remember what the Chandelure said...

_"Find a maiden with a pure heart and travel back to the Celestial Tower with her..."_

A pure maiden...how would he know if a girl was pure or not? And how would he even convince her to follow him nearly half way across Unova to the tower? And what would Chandelure do when they come back? Would it change him back to normal? There were so many unknowns, but he had to fulfill this task if he ever wanted his body back.

"If I ever get out of this," Scrafty mumbled to himself as he weaved through a random guy's legs "I'm never taking Pokemon for granted ever again..."

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** I don't have an idea for Scrafty's human name.

Yes, that is all.


	3. Moving Forward

**A/N:** If you hadn't notice, this is following the timeline of Pokemon Black and White. The characters aren't going to get involved in that storyline since this is a completely different one, but Team Plasma, N and possibly Ghetsis will have minor appearances.

Wit that said, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

><p>"Wow Aciri, I guess knowledge is one of the key things in battles," Penelope said as she picked up Ivy, who had succumbed to our battle. I shrugged as I rubbed Lancelot's head, who was gloating about his victory.<p>

"I think I just got lucky since Ivy doesn't know any Grass-type moves yet," I said "After all, you have a type advantage over me. But, I don't think Ivy likes battling."

Penelope blinked before she looked down at her Snivy, who hung her head in shame. My step-sister hugged the snake before she used a Potion to heal her wounds.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Ivy!" she said "I think you would rather show off than get your hands dirty, huh? Maybe you're more interested in contests and musicals like I am!" I heard Ivy make some sort of a purr-hissing sound as I used one of my spare Potions to heal up any of Lancelot's injuries from the battle. He seemed to proud of himself to even notice that he was bleeding from a cut on his left temple. He paid attention when he felt the sting of the medicated spray touch him.

"Hehe, sorry," I giggled when he gave me a look. Lancelot just shrugged and started to go do some exploring of his own in the area. Penelope said that she was gonna go ahead and meet me in Accumula Town to rest up Ivy at the Pokemon Center. I told her Lancelot and I was gonna train some more out here before heading to the town. Lancelot was eager to start training and ran into the grass as soon as Penelope and Ivy left.

"Hey, wait for me before you go into tall grass!" I told him when I caught up to the little otter.

He tilted his head at me like he's done nothing wrong. "Osha?"

"Nevermind." I shook my head, and then saw a Lillipup poking its head above the grass to look at us. "Just challenge that Lillipup over right there." Lancelot nodded before he pointed his scal-sword towards the puppy. Lillipup stared for a moment before it lowered its head and growled menacingly at Lancelot, letting us know that it accepted our challenge. After a few simple commands, the Lillipup was defeated and ended up scampering away. We repeated this process for the next hour or so, challenging any Pokemon that wanted to challenge Lancelot and I. He learned Water Gun as we trained, and we called it quits when I used my Pokedex to check on Lancelot's health.

"Y'know something, Lancelot," I mused as I carried him in my arms "I can't help but to notice that you have a brave nature."

Lancelot looked up at me with a confused looked. "Whu?"

"Well, I noticed that, unlike Ivy who seems more concerned about her appearance, you're the kind of Pokemon who would jump headfirst into a challenge and eager to fight. Yet, you want to protect the one close to you despite that, like when you were about to attack Ivy for hissing at me. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but that's what it seemed like to me."

Lancelot went quiet as we entered Accumula Town. Accumula is one of those small middle class towns for those who want to live a more quiet life compared to other cities like Nimbasa or Castelia. People who actually have one of those small jobs in Castelia have their families live here if they want a more quieter setting. Accumula Town was going to be the city my mom and I was gonna move to had she had not married Penelope's dad and moved to Striaton.

It was a few minutes close to two when we arrived; there was some people, trainers and Pokemon out and about, but noting major. I headed to the Pokemon Center, which is he first thing you would see when you enter this place. Lancelot fidgeted in my arms as we walked into the building; Pokemon Centers are like a small hotel and a vet/doctor melded into one. You could heal your Pokemon completely here for free anytime you want, but trainers could also stay here for a day or two to rest before continuing their journey. They also have pharmacies for those who have health problems, and doctors standing by just in case.

The Center itself looked and felt like a comforting place, with deep pink wallpaper and nurses checking on the Pokemon and trainers on a regular basis to make sure they're comfortable. The rooms were in the back, along with the infirmary that allows trainers to view their ill Pokemon as they're being cared for. This is my first time ever going into a Pokemon Center to be honest; I've only went to regular doctor's offices and regular pharmacies if I needed medicine. But I did do my homework on the place.

"Excuse me," I said to a nurse when I reached the counter "I'm here to heal Lancelot." The nurse (who had Joy on her name tag) smiled sweetly before taking Lancelot into her hands and placing him on the smaller version of a hospital bed.

"It'll only take him a few minutes," Nurse Joy said as an Audino rolled him into the infirmary. "By the way, are you a rookie trainer?"

"Yes ma'am. My name is Aciri Ishun." Joy typed something into the computer before the machine next to her starting making beeping noses.

"Ah, good. Your Trainer Card just came in," she said before handing me the card. A Trainer's Card is basically an I.D. stating that you are a certified trainer to compete in the Pokemon League. It's the only way to actually compete in it; if you don't have your card, you can't challenge the Gyms and get your badges. The process to actually becoming a trainer isn't as easy as it may seem; the region's Pokemon Professor sends registration forms to trainers who are ready to being his or her journey. You have to be sixteen or seventeen to actually fill out the forms in Unova, while other regions like Kanto or Hoenn allows the parents of a ten year old to fill out the forms. After the forms are filled out, they are sent to the Pokemon League where the Elite Four and Champion approve whether or not the child is ready to compete. However, you'll also have to register your starter Pokemon as well, so most rookies wait until they get their Pokemon before completely filling out the forms. If the League approves, your Trainer Card will go through the system and print out at any Pokemon Center if you request it. It's a long process, but it's worth it in the end.

While I waited for Lancelot, I looked over my Trainer's Card for a while; it had basic information, such as your name, your picture, your starter Pokemon's picture and eight empty spaces at the bottom to represent how many badges you've collected. Speaking of that, I haven't gotten my Badge Case yet. Fortunately, the Pokemon Center also doubles as a little shop where you could buy supplies, and they sold this starter kit for rookie trainers that included a free badge case, five Potions and all of the status infliction heal items. My mom gave me some money to start out, but you can earn more money by battling against other trainers.

"Hey! Sis!" I turned around to see Penelope coming over to me with Ivy on her shoulder again. "I've been looking for you! Hey, where's Lancelot?"

"He's getting fixed up after all the training we did before," I replied "Anyway, why were you looking for me?"

Penelope smirked before she took out a pink badge base, along with a little net-bag filled with heal items. "I got you the Trainer Starter Kit while you were away!"

I frowned. "I thought they only gave you one?"

"Well, I had to pay for yours, but they allowed me to get one since I told them we were siblings. Did you get your Trainer's Card yet? I did. I even signed the back of mine too!" Penelope dug into her bag and pulled out her Trainer's Card and shoved it in my face. Her card looked like mine, but she had her signature on the back, just like she said. But, I noticed something different on her card...

"How come it says you have two Pokemon?" I asked her "You only started out with Ivy!"

"Oh, right. You'll see why..." Penelope took off a Pokeball from her belt, but it was pink with a heart on it (a Loveball). She pressed the button to return it to its full size before releasing the Pokemon inside. The energy turned into a form, then turned into full matter, which was actually a Purrloin.

"I had Daddy send Panther," Penelope told me while Panther rubbed up against my legs "The League says you can compete your pet Pokemon as long as you register them, and I believe he can become a good Pokemon if I give him the proper training."

"I actually can't wait to see what kind of potential the lil' guy has," I rubbed Panther's back, making him purr loudly before he returned to Penelope's side. My name suddenly went over the intercom, telling me to come to the reception desk to pick up my Pokemon. Penelope said she was gonna wait outside for me before she returned Panther into his Pokeball and walked out. I put my starter kit into my bag as I went over to the front counter; Lancelot was standing on the desk, eating an Oran Berry the nurse gave to him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Joy as when I got there "but he's completely healthy now." Lancelot climbed onto my shoulder again as the nurse said she hoped to see us again. I told her thank you before leaving the Pokemon Center, only to see a crowd gather near the park. I was too far away to really tell what was going on, but I a line of people wearing these awful knight uniforms standing behind a middle aged man wearing an epic cape-robe thing with long green hair. I could see Penelope and Ivy in the crowd, but I didn't think that whatever this guy was saying was really relevant to me, so I headed towards Route 2. I'll call Penelope using my XTransceiver and tell her I went on ahead if she's looking for me. Besides, I wanted to see what kind of Pokemon I could catch out here.

"Ok Lancelot," I said as he hopped off my shoulder again. "Ready for some more training?"

Lancelot took of his scal-sword (it's actually called a scal-chop, but scal-sword sounds better) and nodded.

"Oshaa!"

**. . .**

Scrafty groaned as he kicked his feet in the water in the small park of Striaton. He had traveled for two or three hours from Nacrene to even get here, and it was a job to try and avoid the trainers on the route who wanted to catch him. Luckily, the towns restricted Pokemon captures due to the fact that 1. trainers and other owners of Pokemon let them roam free and 2. the wild Pokemon who live in cities cannot be captured or even challenged to a battle unless it challenged the trainer first. It had became a law in all regions after certain incidents that had other people's Pokemon unintentionally stolen, or had cases of mistaken identity. But it's a different story once you get out on the routes, then any Pokemon is fair game.

Scrafty went into his pelt and took out a card and stared at it longingly. The card turned out to be a Trainer's Card - HIS Trainer's Card. The picture showed a boy with deep brown eyes and long black hair that stopped at his neck. Originally from Kanto, but traveled to Unova to compete in its Pokemon League, with two Gym Badges from Striaton and Nacrene, and only a Pignite and Herdier registered as his Pokemon.

"I hope you guys can forgive me," he murmured sadly "At least Professor Juniper will take care of you two for now..."

"Why the long face, Scrafty?" Said Pokemon looked up to see a Rufflet perched on one of the Pikachu shaped bushes across from the pond looking at him.

"Eh...nothin' for you to worry about," Scrafty mumbled as he put the card back in his pelt. "What's up with you?"

"Well, considering that I just escaped from being Liepard food, I'm swell!" Scrafty raised an eyebrow.

"Wait...you were almost a chicken dinner for a Liepard?" Rufflet gave Scrafty an aplogetic look before he flew off of the Pikachu-bush and landed next to Scrafty.

"Well, the thing is," Rufflet explained sadly "my trainer let me go because I lost against the Gym here, and she was so inexperienced and she let me go near a Liepard and walked off. She HEARD me being attacked, but walked off as if nothing was going on! It was like she wanted me to die!" Ruffled sighed as he sat down. "It's not my fault that I lost. She doesn't know what she's doing when it comes to Pokemon! But...luckily she was dumb enough to let go of the only Pokemon she had on her, so now her parents are gonna take her home. They should consider about putting that girl in a...in a...what's those things called...oh! A Pokemon School! Yeah, they should put her in those so she can learn something! So, yeah, that's my story. What's yours?"

Scrafty shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me." Rufflet fluttered above Scrafty and perched himself on his crest, and peered over and looked him dead in the eye.

"Yes I will! I bet your problems are nothing compared to mine!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure! Got a Pecha Berry?"

"I didn't mean literally."

"Well tell me anyway. I'll believe every word you say!" Scrafty hummed for a full minute before he took out his Trainer Card and showed it to Rufflet. "Who's this guy? Was he your trainer?"

"No," Scrafty paused, and then added in a sad whisper "That's me." Rufflet went quiet while he stared at the card. At first, he thought Scrafty was lying, but then he remembered the way he stared at the piece of plastic material longingly when he first saw the Pokemon. He thought he missed his trainer and took the card for himself, but he only saw a Herider and a Pignite listed on the card, and not Scrafty. Perhaps he was telling the truth after all...But how can a human turn into a Pokemon? That's impossible!

"This is you, huh," Rufflet mused. "So your name is Indigo Blue?"

Scrafty slightly cringed when he heard the name he hated. "Yeah."

"'Kay then. So, Indigo! I'm interested on how you turned into a Pokemon! Think you can tell me?"

"It's long. How 'bout I give ya the shorter version?"

"'Kay." Rufflet fluttered again, and sat next to Scrafty - or rather Indigo - and listened to his story.

"Alright, so, I came over here form Kanto to compete in the region's Pokemon League. I was already registered as a trainer, and I'm old enough, so competing wasn't really a problem. I got my starter, caught another Pokemon, and won my first two Gym Badges. I was feeling pretty good, but I wanted to train before I challenged the next Gym, so I headed to the desert..."

**. . .**

"Ok Lassie, since you have the ability Sand Rush, this area will be more ideal for you. I would like it better if Raphael could train with you, but he'd get hurt by the sandstorm..."

Lassie barked and wagged her tail as she followed Indigo through the darker sands. Route 4 shouldn't have been called a route, since it was nothing but a desert with fierce sandstorms almost all year round. There were many Pokemon you could find here like Darumaka or Maractus that liked to live in these conditions, but Indigo was more interested in the Desert Resort located in the west, where the Relic Castle lay, as well as some trainers.

Lassie loyally followed Indigo up the path of sands while he struggled to fight the winds blowing in the other directions. Unlike Hoenn where you needed Go-Goggles to go into its desert, the desert here didn't require goggles since the sandstorm isn't as harsh, but trying to navigate through the route without a pair can become annoying.

"I knew I should've bought those goggles," Indigo hissed as he tried to wipe some of the sand out of his eyes. Lassie barked at him and tilted her head. Indigo let out a small chuckle as he patted her head. "I'm alright, girl. Just help me get through, 'kay?" Lassie nodded before she trotted up the path a bit, then stopped to wait for Indigo to catch up. Indigo told her to look for the entrance to the Desert Resort, and the Herdier used her previous experience (she wandered into the desert as a Lillipup) to lead her trainer to the Resort. This process continued for the next forty-five minutes until they both reached the entrance.

Indigo sat in one of the chairs as he guzzled down a Fresh Water and gave his last Lemonade to Lassie as they watched the electric bulletin board post up some of the more recent news. Inidgo called these places "rest hallways" due to the fact that trainers used these areas for that purpose. They were basically these small entry or exit ways to and from routes and cities that allowed trainers to prepare for what was ahead. He thanked Arceus that they had these things in the desert.

Indigo decided to save the last half of his water and waited for Lassie to finish her drink. He took advantage of the wait and rested himself before Lassie began to nudge at his leg. Indigo gave her another pat before he got up and went out into the Resort, which wasn't any different form the rest of the route if you didn't count the large sand dunes scattered everywhere.

Indigo used the directions he downloaded into his XTransceiver to find the ruins; he knew he had to train to get ready for the next Gym battle, but he wanted to explore a little too. After fighting against the sandstorm and sweating nearly a gallon of sweat, the found the entrance on top of one of the largest sand dunes. Fallen pillars and statues of a Darmanitan in Zen mode were at the entrance, which was a stairwell leading into the dune itself. Lassie was eager to go in, but Indigo called her back since he has something on his mind.

"Hey, listen Lassie," he said as he knelt down to her "I know you want to see the ruins too, but I heard there are a lot of quicksand pits down there and I don't want you to get hurt if you fall into one. You don't mind if you go back into your Pkeball for a while, do you?" Lassie made a slight whimper, but decided not to protest; she knew that Indigo cared about her safety more than his own, even if he does show that he depends on her and Raphael more than he should.

She nodded slowly before Indigo returned her into the Pokeball, and then went down into the Castle to discover the secrets it may conceal...

**. . .**

"...and then I fell down a quicksand pit and found a pile of gold Nuggets. I got greedy, so I started to take a few, and that's when the Confagrigus woke up and laid the curse on me that turned me into a Scrafty..." Rufflet, who was back on Indigo's crest, made a sad hum before peering over and looking at the Pokemon.

"I knew that those things lured people by using Nuggets to steal their souls, mummify, or eat them but I never knew that they could lay curses on your either! I guess it's my own fault though; I should've left those things alone and went on about my business. but the temptation was too great! I mean, what would you do if you saw a pile of gold just sitting there unguarded?"

"I'd grab it," Rufflet agreed "but you also gotta remember that Confagrigus eat gold too."

"Yeah but..." Indigo sighed "I noticed something about that thing, too."

"What's that?"

Indigo made a face. "I'm probably imagining it, but Confagrigus had a hatred in its eyes that I couldn't ignore...Like, it hated humans for whatever reason."

Rufflet fluttered again, but landed back on Indigo's crest. "Hm...you think it could've been an abused Pokemon?"

"That could be a possibility. But I couldn't find out since I high tailed out of there when I transformed. Speaking of that, when I ran out of the ruins, I met a Chandelure who offered to help me. She said she knew how to get my body back, but I had to meet her at the Celestial Tower with a pure hearted maiden and then disappeared..."

"What happened to your Pokemon after that?" Rufflet asked curiously.

"Well, I found their Pokeballs one the ground before I ran out, and I had to go back to Castelia to send them to Juniper's lab until I could get this resolved. I didn't feel comfortable with putting them in storage since I heard people are starting to steal Pokemon from them. Anyway, I snuck into the Pokemon Center late at night and sent my Pokemon over to the professor. I talked to her over the phone and told her that something happened, and I couldn't keep them in my current state, and she said she promised to look after them until I get myself fixed. So, after that, I left Castelia and traveled back to the other cities to see if I could find someone. I ran into some Team Plasma freaks on the way, and even helped a little girl get her Pokemon back, and after some more traveling, I made it back here..."

"Wow, you have more problems than I do," Rufflet said "But, how come you didn't go to the Celestial Tower after you stored your Pokemon? You're just making it harder by going backwards!"

"'Cause the more innocent girls are in the smaller towns, and I figured that if I started in one of these, I could find a girl to help me." Indigo replied.

"Hm...ok. I got an idea." Rufflet flew off Indigo's head and pointed his wing towards the east side of Striaton. "Let's head over the to Dreamyard!"

Indigo made a face as he stood up. "Why there?"

"Many trainers go to the Dreamyard to train before they challenge the Gym here. Maybe you'll find the girl you need if we go over there!" Indigo thought about it for a minute, then shrugged and decided it's the best lead he has right now. He's been the to the Dreamyard before and trained Lassie and Raphael there before he challenged the Gym, and he saw more than a dozen of trainers there training.

"Alright...lead the way." Rufflet smiled before he flew off with Indigo jogging behind him. Indigo could get to the Dreamyard on his own without Rufflet's guidance, but decided to let the bird Pokemon take the lead to ease its pain after being abandoned. He was beginning to believe that Rufflet was seeing him as a friend since he was now alone. Whatever the case, Indigo was glad that he didn't have to go through alone anymore.

He just hoped he wouldn't scare a girl away once he opens his mouth...

**. . .**

"Use Fury Swipes, Princess!"

"Evade it, and follow up with Water Gun, Lancelot!" Princess, a Purrloin owned by a Lass trainer, charged at Lancelot with her claws drawn. Lancelot waited until the very last moment until he leaped out of the way and barely missed becoming mincemeat. The sudden movement threw Princess off guard and she stumbled, and Lancelot took the opportunity and blasted a torrent of water at the cat. The blast was strong enough to nearly send Princess flying. But she was knocked out before she hit the ground, and the battle ended.

"Aw, no, I lost!" the Leslie wailed before she returned Princess into her Pokeball. "Oh well...Hey, your Oshawott's strong!"

"Thanks, but we're just starting out," I said while Lancelot stuck his chest out and smirked. "Hey, cut that out. We're almost at Striaton, so let's go." Lancelot pretended to pout while I collected the prize money for winning. Striaton City was only a short walk away, but we had to get passed another trainer to even get there. While we walked, I took my hat off my head and put it on Lancelot's. The little otter whipped his head back and forth in a confused manner while I giggled at him.

"Whuu-wott," he murmured as he took the hat off and then looked up at me.

"Couldn't resist," I laughed. Lancelot looked at my hat before he put it back on his head. I laughed again, then paused when I noticed that we stepped off of the grass and onto regular concrete. We had made it to Striaton City, another city my mom and I were considering moving to. Striaton is more upscale than Accumula Town, where families of those who work in bigger businesses in Castelia live. The main attraction besides the Gym is the Dreamyard; a factory that used Munna and Musharna for various things, but some sort of accident happened and the place was destroyed in an explosion. Now, it was a place where trainers could train their Pokemon, as well as play in the area since the people here have made some of the scrap into a little playground.

I was about to head into the Pokemon Center when my XTransceiver (it's basically a hi-tech watch that can double as a phone) began to ring. I already knew who it was, so I answered it without a second thought.

"There you are, Aciri!" Penelope sighed as her face appeared on the screen with Ivy pushing her way to look too. "I can't believe you left without me!"

"Sorry," I laughed as Lancelot climbed up on my shoulder to see my little sister "You were in the crowd, so I decided to leave and contact you when you were finished with whatever that little presentation was."

"Oh! That's what I wanted to tell you," Penelope's expression went to a worried one "You saw that scary looking guy with the cape, right? Well, his speech was about Pokemon Liberation!"

I made a face. "Pokemon Liberation?"

"Yeah! He said he was a Sage or something and a part of a group called Team Plasma. They say that trainers are bad and we're hurting them by capturing them in Pokeballs and stuff. I didn't want to listen, so I started to leave. But when I did, the speech ended and this cute guy with long green hair approached me when I was talking to Ivy."

"What'd he say?"

"You won't believe it! He said he heard Ivy talking!" Ok, now THAT'S super weird.

"Wait, he said Ivy was talking or did he understand what Ivy was saying?"

"I think the latter. See, we were looking into this Pokemon Accessory store, and Ivy was looking at this cute little pink crown for Grass types. I told her that we were going in to get something for her to enhance her beauty when we entered the musicals, and she made this happy squeal and then he came over and asked Ivy what she said. He wouldn't tell me, but he seemed disturbed that Ivy was showing affection."

"Super weird..." I mused "Well, what happened? Did he try to talk to Ivy some more?"

"He tried to, but Ivy didn't seem interested. In fact, he wanted to battle, but then I told him that Ivy didn't like battling right now, so I used Panther. It was hard, but Panther won his first battle! But then the guy wandered off so...yeah."

"Well, I'm glad you weren't harassed. Anyway, be more careful while you travel, ok? I'm in Striaton right now and I'm heading to the Dreamyard to train before the Gym. Call me when you get here, alright?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask if it was okay if we traveled separately for right now...I want to train Ivy and Panther out here before I keep going, so you do what you're gonna do and maybe we'll meet up again, 'kay?"

I smiled softly before I nodded; Penelope was known as the baby since she didn't like to do things alone, but now that she wanted to travel alone on her journey is a sign that she was growing up.

"Alright, Sis. But call me if anything happens, got it?"

"Yup! See you!" Penelope's image faded into static as she hung up, and I turned off the phone function to hang up my end. I wanted Lancelot to rest up some more before we headed to the Dreamyard, so I went into the city's Pokemon Center before going there.

"Who knows what we'll run into on this journey, Lancelot," I said we walked into the Center. Lancelot tilted his head slightly.

"Oshawott?"

"I dunno," I shrugged, like I actually knew what it was saying. "I just know that anything can happen in this crazy world we live in. And we should be careful of those Team Plasma freaks. We don't want them taking you away, do we?" Lancelot made a gasping sound before he hugged my neck. I laughed and patted him as we went up to the counter to have him healed up. Another Nurse took Lancelot onto another tiny hospital bed (after I got my hat back, of course) before they rolled him into the infirmary. I decided to get something to eat in the cafeteria while I waited and headed there.

Since Lancelot didn't sustain a lot of injuries during our training session on Route 2, his checkup went by rather quickly. I was still looking at what I could get when they called me to the desk, and I nearly ran back there to pick him up. I thanked the nurse before going back to the cafeteria, and I got lunch for Lancelot and I. While we ate, I started to think about how it would be cool if I got a little accessory for Lancelot; giving a nickname is one way to bond with your Pokemon, but accessories work just as well. There's a store in the city that specialized in trainer clothes and Pokemon accessories; I think I'll head there first before going to the Dreamyard. It was only thirty six minutes after three; I had plenty of time.

"Sha." Lancelot tapped my arm to get my attention, and then pointed at the pack of graham crackers sticking out of my bag.

"Want one?" I asked him while taking out the crackers. Lancelot nodded, and I gave him one, no questions asked. "There you go. After you eat that, let's go. I wanna get you something before we train." Lancelot gave me a look, as if he wanted to know what I was gonna get him. I winked at him, letting him know that I wasn't gonna tell. Lancelot made an annoyed face, but I patted him before I collected my things and stood up from the table. Lancelot saw that I was getting ready to go, so he climbed up on my shoulder and rubbed his head on my cheek.

"Aw, I love you too," I giggled "Now let's get going. We still have a whole day to go!"

"Oshaa!" I smiled as I walked out of the cafeteria and out of the Center itself.

This was only the beginning for what was gonna come my way in the near future, and I had no way to prepare for it.

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** Yes, Scrafty's human name is Indigo Blue (and no, he's not related to Blue). There's gonna be a running gag that comes along with that name later.

By the way, SPOILERS: Aciri transforms in the next chapter :D

...Man, this is my longest chapter yet.


	4. Transformation

**A/N:** I'm gonna try and update this more since it's kind of a big story.

* * *

><p>Lancelot pointed his scal-sword at the fallen Patrat, daring it to get up and try to fight again. The rodent Pokemon made a frightened squeak before scurrying back into the grasses from which it came. Feeling satisified with his quick work, the Oshawott placed his scal-sword back on his stomach and turned towards me with an expectant look.<p>

"Great job," I praised "Good thing you learned Focus Energy when you did, too. Now we actually have a chance against the Gym Leader." Lancelot smirked before sticking his chest out with his paws on his hips. "Hey, don't get cocky yet. You can gloat all you want when we defeat the town's Gym Leader."

Lancelot poked his lip out, as if he was saying "way to ruin my fun," but I shrugged it off and started to explore. We've been out in the Dreamyard since three, and it was close to five. I wanted to spend the rest of the day training before heading towards the Gym the following day so we could prepare. I knew that Striaton Gym has three Gym Leaders: Cilan, Chili and Cress. They were triplets who built a resturant into a Gym to keep the place up. The Gym Leader you would face depends on which starter you picked, so it was basically like a game of Rock, Papaer, Scissors. If you chose Snivy, you would go against Chili, who had a Fire type, and a type advantage over you. This applied for the other two as well, so it's best to know what you're up against.

Unfortunately, each brother had two Pokemon, and I only had one, so I would be at a severe disadvantage if I were the challenge them right now. But I couldn't find any Pokemon in these areas that I would want on my team; I should've caught a Lillipup and train it until it matched Lancelot's strength, but it's a common Pokemon that most trainers use, and I wanted to remain as unique as possible. So I might just have to challenge the Gym with just Lancelot, unless I find a Pokemon out here to stand up against Chili's Pansear.

I noticed Lancelot having a stare down with a wild Purrloin, and I decided to allow him to challenge it.

"Try a Tackle to provoke it," I ordered. Lancelot obeyed and charged at the Purrloin, who hissed and moved out of the way to dodge Lancelot's attack. The kitten then followed up with a Tackle of its own and charged at Lancelot.

"Let it come closer then soak it with Water Gun," I told him. Lancelot nodded and planted his feet into the ground and braced himself as Purrloin Tackled him, but Lancelot was strong, and he stood up against the kitten's attack. However, Purrloin seemed keen on what Lancelot and I were up to, and followed up with Fury Swipes. I opened my mouth to tell Lancelot to watch out, but he was one step ahead.

Lancelot had grabbed one of Purrloin's paws, throwing it off guard as to how the Oshawott was able to react so quickly to its strategy. Lancelot smirked before he fired a torrent of water on Purrloin, sending it to the ground in defeat. As Purrloin tried to get back to its feet, Lancelot snarled at it, causing it to yowl before running into the forest beyond the yard.

"Impressive," I appluaded as my Pokemon rubbed at one of its scars it obtained. "I think I gave you the perfect nickname!"

"Sha-wot!" Lancelot chuckled, causing me to giggle. Maybe I could get through this with just Lancelot after all...

**. . .**

Indigo grunted as he tried to follow Rufflet through the tall grass of the Dreamyard. They had already inspected at least a handful of female trainers that could possibly help Indigo, but none of them seemed to be the one he was looking for. Rufflet stated that he was being picky, and he retorted by simply saying that you can't tell if a female is pure or not just by how cute they were.

"Ok, we're almost at the last area where a trainer can go right now," Rufflet explained as he flew closer to the Scrafty "So if we don't find anyone there, we'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Fine," Indigo huffed "but I wouldn't mind taking a break. I'm getting tired..." Rufflet made a hum before he flew ahead a little just to get a better view of who might be in the area. He perched himself on a branch in one of the trees that was close to dying, with hardly any leaves on it. The bird Pokemon scanned the area until he spotted a female trainer resting up against one of the walls of the demolished Dream Factory with an Oshawott.

"Indigo! Look! Come look!" Rufflet called.

"What?" Indigo asked when he arrived, then paused when he looked in the direction Rufflet was pointing at. He saw the female training sitting against the wall, while feeding an Oran Berry to her Oshawott. Indigo has never seen a girl like that in his travels; the trainer was around his age - around seventeen - wearing all light blue clothes. Light blue top with the skirt to match, knee high red socks, light blue boots that came up a few inches below the socks, and a light blue hat with long blue cut gloves. Her skin was pale, but what made her stood out was her hair. Pale yellow and wavy, tumbling down her back and over her shoulders. Her hair was long; so long in fact, that it was touching the ground. Her eyes were oddly colored, being purple, but the uniqueness just added to her beauty.

It was almost like she was a princess form those old cartoon movies.

"Whoa," Indigo breathed, making Rufflet laugh.

"Told you," he teased "So, wanna try and talk to her?"

"Sure," Indigo replied airily, as if he was in some sort of trance. Rufflet made a face before he fluttered over to the Scrafty and pecked at his temple, making the Pokemon swat at him.

"Owch! That hurts!" he growled.

"Then stop ga-gaing over her and come on," the bird Pokemon groaned before flying over to the girl. Indigo, who was beginnign to have second thoughts, followed for a little bit until he reached the end of the tall grass, and decided to stay back and watch until the time was right.

Better let Rufflet soften her up before he made his appearance.

**. . .**

I took another bite of my Pecha Berry as Lancelot finished the last bit of his Oran Berry. I wanted to take a break from training before we finished up and go back to the Pokemon Center for tonight and get ready for the Gym Battle. I used another Potion to heal his scars he got from the Purrloin, and then gave him the Berry to give him back any energy he lost during training. He seemed fully energized now.

Still, without the training, the Dreamyard was a very relaxing place. It was beautiful even, in an eerie, mysterious kind of way. Only a few people knew what they were producing in the Dream Factory, or what caused its downfall, but I heard Munna and Musharna was involved. Whatever the case may be, the citizens on Striaton decided against rebuilding the factory and turned it into a little training ground for trainers, as well as another habitat for wild Pokemon to flourish.

I sighed dreamily as I laid my head back against one of the walls that was still standing. The air had cooled off a little due to the fact that it was close to the evening, making the Dreamyard feel even more mysterious, like there was this chill to the place. I could hear the cries of wild Pokemon in the grass and trees, as well as the fluttering wings of the bird Pokemon flying to and from the yard. I was at peace, and almost fell asleep in bliss had Lancelot not started to nudge at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, then paused when I noticed that he was frantically pointing at a Rufflet standing right in front of us. I couldn't help but to squeal at how cute the little bird was; I always wanted to see a Rufflet up close, but I heard that they were only found in certain areas far from here.

At first, I thought that maybe it was a wild Pokemon wanting a challenge, but it was just standing there, looking at me and Lancelot. I wanted to test something...I held out my hand towards the tiny bird and remained still. The Rufflet looked at my hand before it hopped onto my palm.

"Well hi there," I cooed at it while rubbing its left temple. Rufflet made a cooing sound back, and then I used my Pokedex to check on its overall health and stats. This Rufflet was a male, but it was previously own by another trainer who recently released it, but it had been trained a little, and it was close to Oshawott's level.

"Hey, Rufflet," I said "Lancelot and I are training for a Gym Battle, but I think I might not be ready since I only have one Pokemon..." Rufflet looked down at Lancelot, who smiled and waved back. "If you want, you could join our team and we could train together and win our first Gym Badge. But, it's totally up to you. If you don't want to, then that's okay, but maybe we could be friends."

Rufflet hopped off my palm and landed in front of Lancelot, and started making more cooing and chirping noises at him. Lancelot responded by making it's own sounds, as if they were talking. After a series of cute animal sounds, gestures and expression changes, Rufflet suddenly nodded and fluttered on to my leg and made a chirp at me.

"Do you wanna come with me?" I asked. Rufflet nodded with a smile, and I couldn't help but to grin as I took out a Pokeball and held it out towards him. Rufflet immediately pressed the middle button with his beak to activate the capture, causing the red beam to touch him and convert his body into digital energy before going into the ball itself. The light on the button flashed red for a few seconds before it stopped, letting me know I now own the Rufflet. My grin grew wider as I released Rufflet from its Pokeball, and it squawked at me happily before it fluttered onto my leg again.

"Rufflet," I said "I've been thinking about giving you a nickname. I wanna name you after a famous knight like Lancelot." Rufflet did some sort of happy dance and hopped on my leg some more. "Hehe, well, how 'bout I name you Gawain? He was one of the Knights of the Round Table in King Arthur's story." Rufflet - or Gawain - made a whistle before he started flying around my head with glee. Lancelot looked on with a bemused look while I laughed at the Pokemon enthusiasm. I just knew that Gawain was going to be a great addition to my team.

**. . .**

Indigo watched the scene while safely hidden in the tall grass. He was slightly peeved that Rufflet had momentarily forgotten about the task at hand to become the trainer's Pokemon. Still, he couldn't help but to be happy for Rufflet; after coming from a neglectful trainer, he didn't think the little bird would be so quick to be owned by another trainer. Or, perhaps it was because he asked the Oshawott what kind of trainer the girl was. Indigo had listened to their conversation, since he wanted to know what kind of trainer the girl was.

"Are you happy with this trainer?" Rufflet had asked the Oshawott "Is she nice?"

"But of course!" the Oshawott replied immediately. "She's the sweetest trainer I've ever met! But she also works hard, and since she works hard for me, it's only fair to work just as hard for her. She doesn't push me too hard, though; she knows my limits on the battlefield, but she seems to know that I have come from a bloodline of proud warriors. She knows what kind of potential I have."

"Have you been with her long?" Rufflet had asked.

"I only met her this morning," Oshawott replied "but our journey has been so fun so far! Until that professor came to the Reserve and took me to the lab, I had my doubts of meeting a stranger and go on a trip with them. But Aciri is different. Though she's a rookie and doesn't seem to know what she really wants, she still wants to enjoy herself and experiment. She's smart too; hardly needs her Pokedex or the tips some of the people usually give to other trainers. And, even though we've known each other for a couple of hours, she knows what kind of nature I have. She's more than my trainer; she's my friend. And I'll do anything in my power to protect her, because I know she'll do the same thing for me..."

It was at that moment when Rufflet decided to take another chance; he didn't want to admit it, but he had grown lonely after his other trainer abandoned him. He wanted to show that he could actually be someone and make his trainer proud, but no one would give him the time of day. But if what this Oshawott's words were true, then maybe he found the trainer he's bee looking for. He knew he was probably taking a risk, but he wanted to try once more. He allowed himself to be captured, and even gotten a nickname from her. He was going to be known as Gawain instead of a Rufflet, and that in itself made him incredibly happy.

Indigo would admit that the scene was touching, but there was something more important that they needed to do. He had to get Rufflet's attention so he could remind him of that. But he couldn't just walk out into the open at this state; he wasn't sure if that girl would want to capture him too or become hysterical if he tried to talk to her. Maybe if he found a rock or something to throw at him...

Back with the trio, Lancelot could do nothing but gawk at how overly excited Gawain was. He hasn't stopped going on about how he had a nickname now. Sure a nickname allowed the Pokemon to be unique amongst other trainers' Pokemon, but he shouldn't be that excited about it...right?

"Are you ever going to calm down?" the otter asked, getting slightly annoyed that the newcomer was getting his trainer's attention. "You're not the first to get a nickname, you know..."

"Oh but I can't help it!" Gawain squealed while fluttering still "My other trainer never gave me a nickname and she had me for two days and, and, and...I'm just so happy that I found a good trainer!"

"I'm glad you're happy, but you seriously -"

_Rustle-rustle._

Lancelot whipped his scal-sword off his tummy and pointed it at the shrubs and growled.

"Who's there?" he demanded, making Indigo jump. "Show yourself!"

Gawain suddenly laughed nervously, causing Lancelot to raise one of his eyebrows at him. "Whoops...I forgot I was helping a friend." Aciri watched curiously as Gawain fluttered over to one of the patches of tall grass and began to squawk at it. Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then Aciri could see an orange and red Pokemon moving around in the grass. She could hear murmuring, and then noticed that Gawain made a face before pecking at whatever was in the grass, making it cry out and swat at the little bird Pokemon.

"The heck was that for?" Indigo hissed "That hurts more since I'm a Fighting type and you know that!"

"Well, stop hiding," Gawain said simply "Lancelot and Aciri know your back here, so best get it over with now."

"Forget it...I'm not moving." Lancelot, who had been watching the scene, grew irritated and decided to take matters into his own hands. He breathed in some air before spewing another torrent of water towards the grass. Gawain fluttered out of the way just in time, but Indigo wasn't as fortunate. A yelp could be heard from the grass, causing Aciri to stand up and attempt to peer into the grass. She didn't believe that was a Pokemon; it sounded too human-like...

"Alright, alright!" Indigo groaned. "I'll come out, just don't use Water Gun again..." He sighed as he pulled up his pelt and wove his way through thr tall grass until he eventually made his way into the clearing. Aciri stared at the Scrafty with a bewhildered look while Lancelot looked anxious and ready to defend his trainer if needed. Indigo noticed Lancelot's glare, and held his hands up.

"I'm harmless," he said quickly, making Aciri yelp as he fell backwards. It's bad enough that there's a Scrafty - of all Pokemon - here in this area, but a _talking_ Scrafty? Unbelieveable!

"What the heck?" Aciri cried while Lancelot preapred to slice the Scrafty. "What are you? !"

"Wait a minute, please!" Indigo begged "I don't mean any harm!" Gawain, who was hanging back for the first few moments, decided to step in and perched himself on Indigo's crest again and chirped at Aciri.

"Is...is he your friend?" she asked. Both Indigo and Gawain nodded.

"I met him in the park of Straiton," Indigo began to explain calmly, making Aciri calm down a few notches and to cause Lancelot to come over to him and investigate. "His trainer couldn't handle the responsibility and released him near a Liepard, that almost killed him. He saw me near one of the ponds and he offered to help me after a brief conversation."

"Help you with what?" Aciri dared to ask. Indigo made a face, before he went into his pelt and took out his Trainer's Card and held it out towards Lancelot.

"Can you take this to her?" the Scrafty asked. Lancelot looked at the card before giving Indigo a look, and then took the card into his little paw and went back to his trainer to give it to her. Aciri was a little apprehensive, but took the card anyway to look at it. She saw the basic information; his name, his Pokemon roster and where he was born.

"Is this your trainer?" she asked, then raised an eyebrow when Indigo shook his head.

"Believe it or not," he sighed "that's me." He noticed that both Aciri and Lancelot wanted to say something, but a quick wave of his hand made him hush. "Now before you say anything, let me explain. I already told Rufflet -"

"My name's Gawain now," said Pokemon said matter-of-factly.

"I already told GAWAIN what's going on, so your Oshawott can ask him if you believe I'm lying." He waited for their replies, but they only nodded for him to continue. "Alright...I'll give you the shorter version..."

**Several minutes later...**

"...so now I've been a Scrafty for a few days, and I've been looking for a 'pure hearted' maiden since then." Aciri was reduced to sitting back on the ground as she listened the story. She found out that his name was indeed Indigo Blue (and she and Lancelot shared a laugh after finding that out) and that he was a trainer from Kanto who wanted to compete in Unova's League. She still found it outlandish that a Confagrigus could turn a human into a Pokemon by cursing them, but Pokemon have always been mysterious creatures. With them, just about anything was possible.

"So you need to go to the Celestial Tower with a girl with a pure heart," Aciri mused.

Indigo nodded. "Right."

"So what does that has to do with me?"

"You're the prettiest one," Gawain quipped, but luckily Aciri had no idea that he said that.

"You're the only one who hasn't really flipped out on me when I spoke," Indigo explained "All the other girls either scream, run away, get their Pokemon to attack me or all of the above. You're the only one who actually gave me a chance to explain myself, and I thought that...maybe you could help..."

Lancelot, who was mostly silent, crossed his arms and gave Indigo a look.

"You seem awfully suspicious..." he trailed "How do we know you're not trying to trick her?"

"Would Gawain be by my side if I was lying?" Indigo retorted, pointing at the Rufflet. "Heck, he was the only person who even listened to my problems! And if it had not been for me, he probably wouldn't have found a new trainer that would actually love and care for him!" Lancelot's expression softened just a little bit, but he kept an eye on Indigo.

"I still don't really trust you."

"Anyway," Aciri coughed, getting their attention "I would love to help, but I don't exactly believe I'm 'pure hearted'..."

Indigo, Gawain and even Lancelot blinked.

"What?"

"I don't think I'm pure," she repeated, shuffling her feet into the grass. "I...I'm not very fond of reptilian Pokemon so...my fear might hinder me form helping you."

"But everyone has fears," Gawain pointed out, but only Indigo and Lancelot could understand him. "Just because you're afraid of something doesn't meant that you're not pure. Fear is something everyone feels, no matter if they're human or Pokemon."

"Gawain has a point," Lancelot nodded.

"Both of your Pokemon are telling the truth," Indigo said "Just because you're afraid of something doesn't mean that you're not pure."

"Yeah but..."

"Hey! I suddenly got and idea!" Gawain suddenly said as he hopped off Indigo's crest and fluttered in front of him. "Why don't you kiss her?"

Indigo made a double take. "Wait, what?"

"Kiss her!" Gawain repeated while Lancelot gaped at them both. "I remember this story my trainer used to read about a Croagunk who was human, but then he kissed this girl, and he turned back into a human again! So, I was thinking that, if you want to find out if she's pure or not, you could kiss her to see what happens!"

"No!" Lancelot nearly yelled while standing in front of Aciri defensively. "I'm not going to have some strange Pokemon kiss my trainer! Out of the question! What if that little curse he has spreads and turns her into a Pokemon too?"

Aciri picked up Lancelot and patted him, instantly turning off his frantic chattering before she looked over at Indigo and Gawain.

"What happened? she asked.

"Well," Indigo scratched the back of his head "Gawain suggested that I should kiss you to see if you're pure, but your Oshawott -"

"That's Lancelot, to you."

"- doesn't like the idea...Anyway, I don't even think that'll work. I mean, you said you don't like reptile Pokemon so..."

"I made a vow to never kiss a Pokemon a long time ago," Aciri said quickly, while holding her hands up "...But..."

"'But'...?"

Aciri sighed heavily. "...That doesn't mean that I don't want to try and help. I know this kind of thing is only for fairy tales, but this is real. So, if I was in your shoes, I'd tried to find any way I could to change back..."

"Look, I don't wanna drag you into something. I just need you to -"

"Do you want me to help or not?" Aciri asked calmly, cutting him off. Indigo pressed his lips into a thin line while Aciri gave him a determined look. Lancelot was still on the defensive and Gawain was eager to see if his idea would work. Indigo was not the type of person to drag anyone - especially a stranger - into his problems, and he definitely didn't want to bring this poor girl into it. She had her whole life ahead of her and she could do whatever she wished in this world, not being held back by a talking Scrafty with a curse. Plus, that Oshawott of hers didn't seem to want him near her. But this could be his only chance at ever getting his body back.

"...Are you sure?" Indigo pressed. "'Cause your Oshawott may be right. What if my curse is contagious and ends up spreading to you?"

"At least we tried," Aciri shrugged. "And if it does spread, then we could just head to the Celestial Tower and see what we can do there." Indigo made a slight face while Gawain fluttered over to his trainer and nudged her leg.

"Come on, come on!" he urged "I wanna see if this works!"

"I'm blaming you if anything happens to her," Lancelot growled, and Gawain only shrugged.

"So, are we gonna do this or what?" Aciri asked "'Cause the faster we do this, the faster we can get going."

"Alright, alright," Indigo said "but don't rush me! I never kissed a girl before..."

Aciri shrugged. "I never kissed a guy either. So I think we'll be fine." There was an awkward silence between the two before Indigo aproached the trainer until he was a few inches away.

"Let's get this over with," he murmured "This...is kinda weird..." Aciri nodded, but didn't say anything. Lancelot hopped off of her lap while Gawain fluttered next to him as they watched the scene. Indigo had already closed his eyes and was puckering slightly, but Aciri had to steel herself before she could proceed.

_It'll be quick...it'll be quick...it'll be quick..._she chanted mentally before she squeezed her eyes shut propelled forward and kiss Indigo on his lips.

Before either of them could savor or hurl, a light surrounded them both, causing Lancelot and Gawain to shield there's as remnants of the curse began to fill the air. Numerous of Pokemon in the area scurried away in fear as the air around them shimmered, causing a slight wind to develop. It only lasted for a few seconds, and soon the light faded and the curse was gone. Lancelot and Gawain unshielded their eyes and looked back at the two, only for them to gape at them. Indigo felt the air had returned to normal as well, and opened his eyes to see what happened. He was disappointed to see that he was still a Scrafty, but that wasn't his main concern...

"Huh...well that was a dud," Aciri observed, seeing that Indigo was still the same, but got uncomfortable when she saw him gaping at her. "What? What are you staring at?"

"...Um..."

"I told you!" Lancelot suddenly exclaimed, startling them all, but mostly Aciri since she could actually _understand_ what her Pokemon was saying. "I told you that was a bad idea! Now look at what you've done!"

"Hey-hey! Don't blame me!" Indigo protested as he pointed at Gawain. "He was the one who suggested it! I was just desperate enough to try it!"

"I thought it would work!" Gawain winced when Lancelot stared him down. "It always worked in that story! I thought it would happen again since both of them were cursed..."

"Wait..." Indigo asked "That story wouldn't happened to be _'The Princess and the Croagunk'_ would it?" Gawain nodded furiously.

"Yeah!" Indigo's palm made contact with his face.

"No wonder it didn't work!" he hissed. "You need a princess for that sort of thing!"

"Can someone _please_ tell me what's going on?" Aciri whined "Like, how come I'm shorter and why I can hear Pokemon talking?" All three Pokemon winced.

"You should probably see for yourself..." Lancelot murmured. Aciri made a slight face, but looked down at her hand, only to freeze. Frantic, she looked all over her body to see that she was no longer a human, but a lizard with a mohawk, a hood and pants...

She was turned into a Scrafty.

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** Crappy ending, is crap.

Has anyone else noticed that FF is acting all weird? :/


	5. Lost in Thought

**A/N:** I wanted to make this longer, but thought against it since I couldn't fit what I wanted to here since it would make the next chapter shorter.

Nothing big.

* * *

><p>"Look at what you've done to me! How am I going to get out of this? How am I going to explain this to my sister or mom and dad? How am I going to get my Gym Badges? Am I going to be stuck like this forever? What will happen if I tried to talk to someone? This is all your fault!"<p>

Lancelot and Gawain could only watch as their trainer - who was now a Scrafty - nearly choked poor Indigo to death while screaming at the top of her lungs. Lancelot would have helped, but he felt Indigo was getting what he deserved, and Gawain was feeling very guilty since he was the one who convinced them to go with his idea and kiss each other to break the curse.

It didn't work, obviously.

"Will-you-stop?" Indigo yelled as he was being shaken by an enraged Aciri by the throat "You-know-this-wasn't-my-idea-so-stop-trying-to-kill-me!"

"Please stop fighting," Gawain cried as he fluttered over to both Pokemon "It's my fault! I didn't know it would spread to you! Just please, stop trying to choke Indigo! He's my friend!" Aciri paused and looked up at Gawain, who was close to tears by now. She knew this wasn't Indigo's fault - in fact, he didn't even want to drag her into this. Gawain was just trying to help, and he didn't know the curse who spread to her as well.

Aciri sighed before she finally released Indigo, who gratefully inhaled a big breath of air.

"Sorry," she murmured "I lost it for a sec..."

"No kididn'!" Indigo coughed, earning him a look. "Well, this just make our problems ten times worse, especially for you."

"Whaddya mean?"

"You're a shiny." Aciri blinked before she looked down at herself again; she hadn't noticed it before since she was too upset at what happened, but now she noticed that instead of having Scrafty's traditional deep orange skin and yellow hood and pants, her skin was yellow with green pants and a hood, and if she could look up at her crest, it would be orange instead of red.

Shiny Pokemon are extreme rarities in the Pokemon world; there's hardly a one percent chance of a trainer finding one, and they are prized for their unusual colorings. But that also made them targets for criminal gangs like Team Rocket; this worried Indigo since Team Plasma was around stealing people's Pokemon. He didn't want Aciri to become a trophy for one of those morons.

"Well, my mom always said I could've been more an albino if it weren't for my eyes," Aciri said "but now I'll have to be more careful when we walk around in broad daylight..."

"That won't be much of a problem now," Lancelot pointed out, speaking for the first time in the last hour. "It's just about nighttime now, and we can't go back to the Pokemon Center due to your current shapes." Aciri silently thanked Arceus for that, but couldn't get over the fact that she had turned into a Scrafty, one of her most hated Pokemon. She felt her pelt fall down her waist, and she pulled it back up and attempted to walk, only to trip over the molted skin and fall over. She could hear Gawain snicker in the background, but Lancelot scolded him saying that it wasn't funny.

"It happened to me the first time too," Indigo said as he helped the girl to her feet "You'll get used to it, though."

Aciri seemed appalled. "How can you walk like this? You have to hold up your own skin to move properly!"

"It won't be easy, but you'll learn," the other human-Pokemon assured "Unless you want to walk around naked."

_I would rather have that,_ Aciri thought, then thought against it. "No thanks..."

"Well, now that we have that out of the way," Lancelot said "anyone know where we're going to rest for the night?" Aciri and Indigo glanced at each other; they really didn't think about that factor ever since it had been brought up, or they probably ignored it for the time being.

"Hey guys," Gawain called from the sky "I see a stairwell leading into the underground part of the Dream Factory! We can rest in there! It's over the fallen wall behind the one Aciri was up against." Indigo and Lancelot glanced at each other before while Aciri went to go collect her bag and XTransciever (her clothes somehow disappeared during the transformation) before they began to walk over to the area Gawain was talking about, taking note of the wall they would have to scale to get to the stairs.

"Hey, Lancelot," Aciri said as they began the short climb (and after she tripped over her pelt again) "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think it's cool that I'm a Pokemon now." Lancelot gave his former trainer another look. "I mean, I finally get the understand you now."

"True," Lancelot murmured "but now you have to worry about your sister and your parents. Don't you think they'll start to worry about you if you don't contact them?" Indigo - who was already at the top of the fallen wall - was listening to the conversation taking place below him and frowned; he never contacted his parents ever since he left Kanto. Were they worried about him too?

"I'll tell them what's going on somehow," Aciri promised "but I'll worry about that later." Lancelot shurgged as he climbed over a cement block and followed his other companions over the rest of the wall. Gawain was already near the stairs, and waited for his friends to follow before he descended down first. Indigo was about to follow, then stopped and stepped out of the way just as Aciri made it over.

"After you, beautiful," he smirked. Lancelot held back the urge to use his scal-sword on the Scrafty while Aciri rolled her eyes and laughed a bit.

"You're _such_ a gentleman," she said sarcastically before following Gawain into the abandoned ruins of the factory. Indigo simply shrugged and began to follow, but then Lancelot jumped in front of him and pointed his scal-sword at the former human.

"I don't trust you," he said bluntly "I knew there was something off about you the minute you came here."

"Look Lance," Indigo huffed "You don't have to trust me, but you should be worrying more about Aciri than me. Now that she's a Pokemon, she's in a lot of danger, and that goes for all of us. I've been watching my own back the minute I changed into this, but Aciri has her Pokemon to guide her, and I don't. So it would be wise to focus on her at this point until she adjusts to her new body."

Indigo stuck his nose in the air and followed the other Pokemon down the stairs, while Lancelot stayed put for a minute and slightly glared, before he followed everyone else. This was going to be a _long_ night for all of them...

**. . .**

Not a lot of Trainers have ever ventured into the very bowels of the old Dream Factory. Rumors of Munna and Musharna stealing dreams have been passed around the streets of Striaton, but mostly told to young Trainers by parents to keep them out of trouble. But there have been some who were brave enough to enter, only to run back out due to the tricks of Munna, making the underground part of the factory practically untouched.

The air smelled of rusting metal and just about everything was covered with dust. Various parts of machines, wires and tools were littering the floor, along with other debris and chunks of brick and concrete. The faint cries of Munna could be heard in the dark corridors, causing an eerie chill to fill the air. No wonder children have been afraid to enter here on their own!

Still, even with its spooky atmosphere, the inner parts of the factory could not avoid the light from the outside world. The holes in the ceiling allowed the solar rays to pierce through te darkness and chased the shadows of fear away. Pidove and Tranquil could be heard outside, signaling that daylight had finally arrived, thus starting the beginning of another long journey.

Indigo was sound alseep, dreaming about his family, his friends, and his beloved partners. He was human, and he was facing the eighth Gym Leader to obtain his final Badge for the League. It was down to the wire; Drayden was down to his last Pokemon - his vintage Haxorus - and Indigo was putting his faith in Emboar. Haxorus roared, and charged at Emboar, claws drawn and radiating with draconic energy. Indigo shouted a command, but Emboar suddenly lurched. Indigo thought he was going to get hit, but then Emboar suddenly -

"RISE AND SHINE, SLEEPING BEAUTY!"

"GAH!" Indigo jerked his head back, only for him to knock it against the concrete wall behind him. He groaned rather loudly as he gripped the back of his head, feeling a shockwave of pain rattle through his skull.

"Oops...you ok?" Indigo opened his eyes to see Gawain in front of him, looking a little guilty.

"Thanks for the wake-up call," the Scrafty growled as he sat up properlly.

"My bad," the little eagle said as he began to flutter in front of Indigo. "But it's morning! Aciri and Lancelot are already awake and outside waiting for you!" Indigo blinked; he forgot about those two for a second (mostly Lancelot), then remembered that he had to take Aciri to the Celestial Tower to break her free from the curse he unintentionally put on her. It wasn't the best way to get somone to help him, but hey, at least he didn't have to go through this alone anymore.

Indigo stretched, yawned, then stood up and casually walked back towards the stairs as if he didn't have anything important to do.

"Well I'm not the kind of guy to make a lady wait," he smirked "Let's head out there and see what's up." Gawain remained silent as he perched on Indigo's crest again. The ascent to the outside world was short, and it wasn't long before the duo were back outside, where the warm spring breeze greeted them. Aciri and Lancelot were easy to locate; they were just a few feet away from the stairs waiting around. Aciri was trying to adjust to her new body while Lancelot sat and watched. However, the Oshawott's attention was averted away from his trainer when he heard Indigo and Gawain approach.

"He's up," Lancelot said. Aciri turned until she saw Indigo walking over while Gawain decided to fly a little. No other words were exchanged since everyone had only one objective on their minds; leaving Striaton City to begin their trek to the Celestial Tower. Gawain decided to take the role of lookout while the rest of the group laid low and traversed through the tall grass to hide themselves from other Trainers in the Dreamyard. It only took them several minutes to get back into Striaton, where they were safer from capture.

"Careful Aciri," Indigo warned as they walked through Striaton's streets "You're gonna draw more attention since you're a Shiny, and the last thing we need is for someone to try to challenge you or something."

"I'm aware of that," Aciri sighed while staying close to Indigo and Lancelot "Let's not forget about Team Plasma. They can be lurking around here too." Indigo nodded as he kept walking, taking notice of all the glances and occassional stares they were receiving as they walked. Lancelot remained quiet as he looked up at Gawain, who was flying few feet ahead of everyone else, but keeping a steady flight pattern.

After crossing streets, weaving through the legs of pedestrians, and avoiding a Poke-Maniac, the group of Pokemon made it to the small park just before the exit from the city and the beginning of Route 3. It was still a little early in the morning, so the group decided to take a quick break to collect themselves before proceeding.

Gawain was perched on the Pikachu bush again, Lancelot decided to take a quick swim in the pond, Indigo fetched a few Berries to use as food in case they hungry, and Aciri was going through her bag to make sure she still had everything she started out with. Her Badge Case was irrelevent for right now, but she was going to keep the Potions, Pokeballs and status healing items. Once she made sure she had everything, she closed her bag and started to tell everyone she was ready, then paused when she caught sight of her reflection in the pond nearby.

She haven't really examined herself ever since she changed, but then decided now was the perfect time. With her bag around her shoulder, Aciri peered over into the pond and looked at her new face. As she already knew, she was a Shiny Scrafty but she still had her purple eyes. Her crest was more flexible than an average Scrafty; the scales were large, and almost acted as hair. The front scale was hanging over her head, but not to the point where it blocked her eyes. The scale in the back laid against her back in the same manner that her hair did. Besides the eyelashes and the crest, she appeared like a regular shiny Scrafty.

Speaking of differences, Aciri just now noticed how different Indigo looked from an ordinary Scrafty. Just like Aciri, Indigo still had his deep brown eyes, and his crest appeared to be more flexible. There was a small skinny piece of a scale sticking out from the rest of the crest, while the others heading towards the back were pressed against each other as they tried to lay flat, making it look like one large scale if you couldn't see the separate indents. But besides that, he appeared as a normal Scrafty (if you don't count the frown).

Aciri made a humming sound before she called for Lancelot and Gawain. Indigo - who was done with his Berry hunt - stored the Berries he found in Aciri's Berry Pouch while Lancelot and Gawain followed them towards Route 3. After a quick double check, the group of Pokemon left the safety of Striaton City and began their journey on the Route. They immediately ducked into any tall vegetation while Gawain remained the lookout in the air; there were more Trainers on this Route, and it didn't help that there was a Day-Care nearby with toddler-Trainers playing on the playground with their Pokemon.

"This kinda remnds me of Metal Gear Solid," Aciri suddenly mused as they weaved their way through the tall grass "Y'know how you gotta sneak around the base and avoid the spotlights to not get caught? It sorta feels like that since we're trying to avoid Trainers by sneaking through tall grass."

Indigo raised an eyebrow. "You play Metal Gear?"

"Yeah," Aciri shrugged "It's one of my favorite games."

"Heh, it's one of my favorites too. Weird...the girls I knew in Kanto didn't like video games like I do. Kinda nice to meet someone who does."

"Eh, they never said that there can't be such things as a female gamer."

"True."

"How's everything look up there, Gawain?" Lancelot called, trying to ignore the former humans' conversation.

"We're almost at Wellspring Cave!" Gawain called back "But there are two Trainers battling on the main Route. One's a browned haired boy with a red hat and blue jacket while the other one has black hair, glasses and wearing a blue jacket too."

"We'll make sure to steer clear," Indigo said while glaring at a Patrat. They could hear the cries of the Pokemon and the commands being shouted as they drew closer, then it eventually died down when a loud _thud_ was heard in the area.

"Looks like the battle's over..." Lancelot mused. Aciri decided to see what was going on, and peered through the grass until she could see two boys around her age in the middle of the road. The boy with the black hair was returning his fallen Tepig while the brown haired one returned his Panpour, which was bruised, but overall in good health. Aciri watched them talk for a bit before she heard Lancelot call her, causing her to pull away from the two males and continue with their hike. When she caught up them, she found Lancelot, Gawain and Indigo getting ready to pass Wellspring Cave.

"Is it me, or does these Routes seem longer now that we gotta sneak through them?" Indigo asked no one in particular.

"Well, we have no choice," Aciri shrugged once she was back with the group. She then looked at her XTransceiver for the time, only to find out that it was only seven minutes after nine. "Besides, we're making good time. If we keep up this pace, then we'll be at Nacrene in a matter of -"

"Team Plasma's coming! Team Plasma's coming!" Gawain suddenly blared as he frantically fluttered around the other three Pokemon on the ground.

"Gawain, knock it off!" Lancelot growled while trying to swat the little eagle out of the sky. Indigo frowned, however.

"What did he say about Team Plasma?" He looked up to see two Plasma Grunts already upon them, looking at the liitle group. Indigo scowled, Gawain whimpered and hid behind Aciri, Lancelot growled and prepared to grab his scal-sword, and Aciri almost cried at how horrible those costumes looked now that she could see them up close.

"Is that it?" the first one asked his cohort. The other Grunt made a slight face before he pulled out a small picture and looked at it, and then looked at Indigo before he nodded and put the picture away.

"Yup, that's the one," he said. "Grab it!" Indigo felt his pupils shrink as he grabbed Aciri's wrist and ran straight into the cave with Lancelot and Gawain right behind them. Aciri yelped as she was pulled into the moist cave, then decided to follow since she could see the Grunts catch up. She grabbed Lancelot's paw and made sure Gawain was near before she turned and followed Indigo.

Wellspring Cave was a small one-way cave that was mostly surrounded by water. Woobats and Roggernola were the most common Pokemon here. The ground-ridden Pokemon climbed up a ledge and continued through the cave, only to meet a dead end near one of the larger pools of water. Indigo made a sound that resembled a frustrated growl, and turned around to backtrack, but froze immediately when he saw the Plasma grunts block their escape route.

They were cornered like a Patrat being hunted by a Hydreigon. No escape. And two men were looming over them, preparing to claim their prey.

And by the way things were looking, their journey to get their humanity back was about to have a very erupt ending.

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** I'm still thinking on whether the gang should play a role in the main story of Black and White, or just mess with Team Plasma since they're gonna be the "Team Rocket of the anime" to catch the two talking Scrafty.

Also, these two are gonna be constructing teams to help them along the way, but I'm not giving out spoilers as to which Pokemon they'll catch. One more thing, the story progresses at the same pace when I play the game (this only goes for battles and evolutions; nothing big).

Just some side-notes before I finish up here. If you wanna review, go ahead, I just don't accept flames.


	6. Close Calls

**A/N:** This took a few days. 6,000+ words are a lot to type, especially when you're trying to fit key events into one chapter.

* * *

><p>Indigo pushed Aciri behind him until she was pressed against the wall while Lancelot and Gawain stayed near their Trainer. The 3 of them were wondering why Team Plasma was after Indigo, then remembered that he was a talking Pokemon. But it's not like Indigo purposely dragged them into this; Team Plasma was <em>his<em> problem since they were after _him_ for the sheer fact that he could talk. Aciri, Gawain and Lancelot were completely irrelevant to them (for right now).

Still, Indigo cursed himself for running into a dead-end, causing everyone to get trapped and at the mercy of the Plasma Grunts. It was difficult to figure out exactly what they wanted with him considering that there was no way in Hell he was going to help these hypocrites. Unless they thought that if they either a. caught him in a Pokeball so he can obey them or b. capture him and take him to their "king" where he might try to convince him to be on their side. Whatever the case may be, Indigo didn't want to participate in any of it.

"Sorry," Indigo mumbled to Aciri "I thought we would lose 'em in here...I never meant to drag you guys into this..."

"It's ok," the female whispered, making sure the Grunts couldn't hear "I know you didn't mean it."

"We heard you caused our teammates so much trouble," one of the Grunts said, getting the Pokemon's attention "But you're obviously valuable to us. We know that you won't come quietly, so once we nab you, we'll grab your shiny girlfriend and the other two as bonuses."

Indigo glowered darkly before be spat at the Grunts' shoes.

"Touch any of them and I'll have your heads," he growled. The Grunt who had remained quiet for the most part suddenly grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and released a Patrat. The other Grunt followed suit and released his only Pokemon too, which was another Patrat (like you haven't seen enough of those already). Indigo knew that they were challenging him to a battle, but he didn't seemed to be fazed by it. In fact, he even laughed at them.

"Are you serious?" he snickered. "You _do_ realize I have a Type advantage over these two and I can just utterly destroy them, right?"

"Attack it, Patrat!" both Grunts ordered, ignoring Indigo's remark. Both of the rodent Pokemon were hesitant, but charged regardless. Indigo sighed before he grabbed Aciri and Lancelot and moved them towards the pool.

"Forgive me," he said before he pushed them both into the water. Lancelot was the first to come back to the surface, but Aciri took a another second to resurface since the action threw her completely off-guard.

"What was that for? !" she cried.

"Lance, have Aciri hold on to you and stay as far away from land as long as possible," Indigo ordered as he dodged one of the Patrat's Tackle "The water in this cave is fairly deep, so these dorks can't get to you easily."

"So the female can talk too," one of the Grunts noted, causing Aciri to cover her mouth with both hands once she realized her mistake. "We'll be promoted if we can bring them both back!"

"Not in this life time!" Indigo grabbed one of the Patrats by the tail after doding its Bite, then threw it into the other Patrat. Indigo winced at how he had to beat up the poor Pokemon; he knew it wasn't their fault that they had to work for Team Plasma, but a battle was a battle, and he had to win. But he was going to be merciful and not use any Fighting Type moves yet, not unless it was absolutely necessary.

Gawain made a squaking-sound before he flew at the Grunts and began to peck at their faces. Both Grunts cried out and tried to shoo Gawain away, but the little Rufflet was tired of seeing his friends being threatened by these two, and pecked at them harder after dodging one of their arms or fists. Aciri cheered her Pokemon on while Lancelot watched Indigo intently. The Scrafty was holding his own very well, despite the fact that he was originally a human. He was swift, doding the Patrat's attacks like an expert, and then counterattacked them with his own moves. He even did the break-dancing kick and sent one of the rodents flying into a wall. But it wasn't Indigo's fighting style that Lancelot was impressed with; it was the fact that he was more concerned about their safety instead of his own. Perhaps...perhaps he was wrong about Indigo.

"Rrr! You're getting on my nerves!" one of the Grunts growled before he swung his arm and hit Gawain directly, sending him flying into the wall the 4 of them were cornered at. Gawain hit the stone wall hard, and cried out when he felt a sharp pain go through his right wing before falling to the ground. Aciri cried out and Indigo growled, but Lancelot had enough. He released his hold of Aciri and jumped out of the water and into the air, then fired a torrent of water towards the Grunts. Both men cried out at how water could actually _hurt_, and ended up sputtering and spitting out any of the liquid. Lancelot made a growling sound as he landed back on dry ground, and began to use his scal-sword to repeatedly slash at the men.

"How DARE you!" he snarled, though they couldn't understand him. "Where do you get off hitting Pokemon like that? !"

Indigo used sheer willpower to ignore Lancelot's outrage towards the Grunts, but then noticed that Aciri had swam her way back to dry land and ran over to Gawain, who was lying limp on the floor and whimpering.

"Gawain! Gawain, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Aciri cried frantically after picking up the fallen bird.

"My wing hurts," the Rufflet sniffed, but Aciri shushed him as she cradled him, then glared darkly at the Grunts.

"Show them no mercy, Lancelot!" she seethed. Said Oshawott nodded as he began to slash at the Grunts again, making them cry out in pain and fear. By now, Indigo had just about had it with the fighting and getting one of his friends hurt, so he punched both Patrats away where they finally fell defeated. Aciri called Lancelot and told him to stop since the Grunts had no way to defend themselves now that their Pokemon were knocked out, and the Oshawott growled at the men one more time before going back to Aciri's side. Indigo stood tall, with his arms crossed and looking a bit arrogant as he stood over the men.

"You guys are pathetic," he scoffed "I have never seen a more sorrier bunch than you fools."

"You're the fools!" the first Grunt growled "Do you not understand what we're trying to do? We're trying to save the Pokemon from foolish Trainers!"

"How are you 'saving' Pokemon?" Aciri screeched, sounding appalled "You claim that you care about Pokemon, but you can't abuse them! Seriously, I wouldn't hit a Pokemon and then claim wanting to save it! You guys are nothing but hypocrites!"

"That's what I said," Indigo sang.

"Our king loves Pokemon," the second Grunt went on "He's taken care of Pokemon that have been abused by Trainers, and he knows what we're trying to do. He entrusted us to save the Pokemon, and as his loyal followers, we shall liberate them all!"

"Good for you then," Indigo rolled his eyes "but what do I - or my friend there - have to do with this? So what if we can talk? That doesn't mean that we're gonna follow you morons because you're trying to 'save' Pokemon. Heck, even your own Pokemon don't like you!" Both of the Grunts looked at the Patrats, who glared back at them. The men scowled before they returned the rodents back into their Pokeballs, but one of the Patrats gave the group an apologetic before turning into the red energy and sucked into the metal capsule.

"I bet your Trainers abused you," the first Grunt growled "I bet that's why you learned to talk, so you could call for help against him!"

"You don't know anything about Trainers!" Aciri yelled "Sure there are _some_ that abuse Pokemon, but that's only because they can't handle the responsibility of giving it the love and care that it needs! And Pokemon are more than creatures that you use to battle and trade each other with; they're your friends, your family! They put their trust in you to protect them, and you do the same for them! Just because you catch a Pokemon with a Pokeball doesn't mean you capture their hearts, but you're already building a bond between you and them that can last for more than a lifetime! And most Trainers of our world are able to do so, like..." Aciri looked down, and lowered her voice so they wouldn't hear. "Like Indigo and I..." Lancelot, Gawain, and even Indigo heard that, and Gawain buried his head into Aciri's chest.

"You pricks should be ashamed of yourselves!" Indigo added, glaring at them "You dare lecture us about how Pokemon should be treated? If anything, _we_ should be the ones lecturing _you!"_

"What's going on here?" Both men suddenly grew smug expressions as two more Grunts walked into the area. There was another male Grunt, but there was also a female one. Indigo made a slight face as he stepped back, taken aback at how there were more members of Team Plasma here.

"What happened you two?" the other male Grunt asked the first two. They were soaked, covered with gashes, cuts and bruises, and their outfits were tattered as well. Before any of them could reply, the woman Grunt looked at the group of Pokemon, but paid more attention to Indigo.

"Hey, I remember you," she said as she stepped forward. "You're that smart-mouthed Scrafty that stole that Pokemon we saved!"

"Actually, _I_ was saving the Pokemon _you_ stole from a little girl," Indigo replied coolly, and even had the gal to yawn and looked at his claws. "In fact, I even reunited Parsley with his Trainer, and man was she glad to see her Pokemon back and unharmed. Y'know, maybe you guys should just give up this whole 'Pokemon Liberation' crap. I mean, you're just making the bond between Pokemon and people even stronger by trying to separate them."

"Like they would actually listen," Aciri snorted a bit too loudly. The new Grunts made a face as the other two tried to sound important.

"We found another one that can talk," one of the bruised Grunts said excitedly. "And it's a Shiny female."

"They must be mates," the female Grunt mused, while Aciri and Indigo put on looks of horror. "So we'll take them both, along with the Oshawott and Rufflet. The Sages will surely reward us if we bring them back."

"We're not moving," Aciri growled, holding on to Gawain tightly.

"Fine. Then we'll make you move with force." The female and other male Grunt threw out their Pokeballs. Two of them had more Patrats while the third had a Purrloin. Indigo cracked his knuckles while Lancelot stood by his side and held his scal-sword menancingly.

"You're helping me?" Indigo asked.

"I'll admit that I don't fully trust you," Lancelot replied, then looked up at Indigo and smiled. "But anyone who would put someone else's well-being before their own is a sign of a good person, human or Pokemon." Indigo smiled slightly, then returned his attention to the battle at hand. They were outnumbered 3 to 2, but since Gawain was injured and Aciri wasn't used to her new body yet, they had no choice. Plus, even though they didn't show it, both Indigo and Lancelot were feeling tuckered out. Indigo had to fight off two persistant Patrats, which took a bit out of him, but Lancelot was feeling a little odd ever since he attacked the other Grunts. He didn't know what it was, but his body was trying to hold something back. Whatever the cause may be, it would have to wait.

The Plasma Grunts suddenly shouted a command to attack, and the 3 opposing Pokemon charged. Lancelot reacted first, getting in front of Indigo and unleashed another Water Gun. It hit one of the Patrat and the Purrloin, but the second Patrat was swift enough to dodge and Tackled Lancelot away from the rest of the battle. Indigo had no time to check on Lancelot, and decided to deal with the other two. He charged at the other two, then skidded across the ground and kicked the Purrloin away. The Patrat recovered, and tried to Bite Indigo, but the Scrafty noticed this and managed to move just in time, making the Patrat Bite down on his hood instead of his flesh. Patrat didn't know how to recover from that, and that left him open for an attack. Indigo told the Patrat to forgive him before using another punch to send the Patrat flying. It hit the ground, but it wasn't defeated just yet. It stumbled to its feet, and tried to Tackle Indigo this time. He dodged, only to cry out in pain when he felt sharp claws pierce the skin on his back. He whirled around to see that the Purrloin wasn't knocked out either, and its claws were drawn and looking ready to slice him down. Indigo had to grit his teeth to ignore the pain in his back while he fought back against the Purrloin.

Lancelot was having a better time standing his ground since he only had one Pokemon to deal with. He decided to be strategic and allowed Patrat to tire himself out by using his attacks one after another. He told Aciri not to help him this time since he wanted to do this on his own, but that didn't stop his Trainer from giving him words of encouragement, which helped him greatly. Lancelot suddenly had the urge to prove himself to Aciri, so he shot another Water Gun at Patrat, sending it to the ground. Once Patrat was down, Lancelot took his scal-sword from his stomach and began another barage of hacks and slashes. Patrat cried out as he was the Oshawott showed no mercy, and with a final torrent of water, the Patrat fell limb on the floor, defeated.

"Amazing job, Lancelot!" Aciri praised.

"Yeah! You're the best!" Gawain added. Lancelot would've boasted, but he couldn't. He was frozen, unable to move. The funny feeling in his body had grown to the point where it was unbearable. He quivered slightly, trying to move or at least tell Aciri what was going on. But the female Scrafty didn't need words to tell her that something was wrong. She saw Lancelot acting strange, and called him. When she received no reply, she got up to go see if he was hurt, then froze when Lancelot's entire being was engulfed in a white light...

The light was bright enough to nearly illuminate the entire area of the cave, and it drew the attention of the other Pokemon and Plasma Grunts. All eyes were on Lancelot, whose body began to change shape in the light. Though they couldn't really see the the actual changes, they could see that Lancelot had gotten taller. After almost a minute, the light finally faded, and Lancelot's new form was revealed. Instead of white paws and head, a light blue body, dark blue feet and tail, his fur had grown a darker blue all over, but thick tufts of navy blue fur were on his legs that almost resembled pants, and he had two scal-swords on his leg-fur instead of one on his stomach. He had white whiskers, and his paws were navy blue also.

Lancelot had evolved from an Oshawott to a Dewott.

Before anyone could say anything about the evolution, Lancelot charged at the other opoosing Pokemon with both of his scal-swords drawn. An aquatic power were fed into them, making two glowing razor blades grow from the scallops, turning them into true scal-swords. In a flash, Lancelot slashed at the Patrat and Purrloin, turning his arms into blurs of blue. Both Patrat and Purrloin cried out in pain, unable to defend themselves against Lancelot's new power. After the barage of hacks and slashes, Lancelot paused to unleash another Water Gun. The move had gotten stronger due to his evolution, and sent both Pokemon into the wall, and they fainted upon impact.

Lancelot, proud of his work, twirled one of his scal-swords stylishly before returning them both to their rightful spots on his leg fur.

"...Epic." Aciri and Gawain breathed while Indigo whistled. The Plasma Grunts, however, weren't impressed. They recalled their Pokemon back into their Pokeballs abnd replaced them back on their belt. But then the female Grunt made a soft growling sound before she charged at Indigo and grabed him by his throat. The other male followed up with a brown sack, and they attempted to put Indigo in it. Aciri cried out while Lancelot tried to help Indigo, but one of the first Grunts came up from behind and grabbed him, holding on to his arms so he could use his scal-swords. Aciri cried out and got up to help, but the last Grunt got in front of her and blocked her from helping or escaping.

"Run Aciri!" both Indigo and Lancelot cried.

"I'm not leaving you two!" she cried back, but backed herself up against the wall while holding on to Gawain.

"You and Gawain are going to get captured if you don't get out of here!" Lancelot wailed while trying not to be thrown into the sack.

"Don't worry about us!" Indigo added "We'll find a way to get away, but you need to get Gawain out of here!"

"I said I'm not leaving!" Aciri said firmly, only to scream when she felt the Plasma Grunt grab her and Gawian. She flailed, and kicked, and even bit him, but nothing was going to stop them from capturing them this time. Gawain, who was reduced to tears since he was so frightened, cried out with both pain and fear.

"Someone! Anyone!" he wailed "HELP US!" The world seemed to have slowed down to the 4 Pokemon. Indigo was trying to fight his way out of the sack, Lancelot almost fired another Water Gun if the Grutn hadn't gagged him, Aciri was trying her best to both fight off the Grunt _and_ protect Gawain, and Gawain was crying his little eyes out. It looked like the future was bleak for each of them, but suddenly...

_Rrrrrumble..._

The Grunts paused while the Pokemon continued the struggle; they didn't hear or feel the sudden quake in the cave.

"What was that?" the female Grunt wondered. As if it was a reply, the ground beneath her and her cohort gave way and collapsed. They both screamed, causing them to let go of the sack. Indigo saw his chance to escape, and fought his way out of the brown bag and landed back on the ground safely. He turned towards where the other two Grunts stood, only to see that they had fallen in to a pit fall trap. Before he could even question on where and how that came to be, two more screams came from behind him. Indigo turned to see that the other two Grunts had fallen into another pit fall trap, but Aciri, Gawain and Lancelot were able to get away like he did.

"What happened?" Aciri asked as she stepped away from the hole.

"I dunno, but I'm thankful it got us away from getting captured," Lancelot said as he dusted himself off. Indigo made a slight face as he peered over into the trap, only to see that the Grunts were sprawled out on the ground below, groaning. He knew no human could do this, and the Pokemon that inhabited this cave couldn't do anything like this, unless...

_"Ha! You suckers didn't see it comin'!"_ There was another small quake, followed by the muffled sound of a drill before something emerged from the ground in the middle of the group. A mole-like Pokemon with large claws jumped from the newly drilled hole and stood proudly in the middle of the 4 Pokemon.

"A Drilbur?" Aciri pondered to herself. Drilbur ignored the group for the time being and went over to one of the traps with the two male Grunts in it. She looked into it with her hands - well claws - on her hips and tisked.

"As if these idiots weren't annoying enough," she huffed "Well, they won't be getting out of _there_ anytime soon." Drilbur made an amused hum before she turned towards the other group of Pokemon, who were looking at her.

"You were the one who made those traps?" Indigo asked.

"Yup," Drilbur replied as she walked over to them. "I've been watching you guys, to tell the truth. I thought you all were weird since there are two talking Scrafty - one being a Shiny too - and some other Pokemon running from some funny-looking humans. Then I saw you guys in trouble so I stepped in." She walked up to Indigo and gave him a playful punch to his arm. "You, however, caught my attention the most. I never knew you could take on so many Pokemon at once!"

Indigo shrugged. "I try." He attempted to grin, then gasped and lurched as he felt a wave of pain go through his back. He had forgotten that he had gotten injured during that battle, and it seemed like the scars were hurting more now that he remembered they were there. Aciri noticed Indigo's distress and dug into her bag until she found a Potion.

"Thanks for your help," Gawain sniffed to Drilbur as Aciri healed Indigo's wounds. "I thought we were goners for sure."

"Eh, no problem," Drilbur shurgged "But I don't think you guys wanna stick around in here for too long. Those weird humans are gonna wake up at any moment."

"Let's head outside," Lancelot suggested "We'll hide out in a patch of grass and rest before we continue on." The Dewott then ushered everyone out of Wellspring Cave (after Aciri was done with Indigo, of course) and left the Grunts in their holes. Drilbur decided to follow, having a feeling in her gut that there was much more to this group of Pokemon than what they were letting on...

**. . .**

It was a little after noon now that the whole fiasco in Wellspring Cave was over. Aciri, Indigo and the rest of the Pokemon found a patch of grass behind a slab of stone near the cave to hide out in just in case the Plasma Grunts decided to come look for them. Aciri was using another Potion to heal Gawain's wing while Indigo took the time to explain everything that had happened to them so far to Drilbur, who had asked them what was going on in the first place. Indigo told the shorter version again, but added how Aciri and Lancelot got involved, and made sure to note that they had to get to the Celestial Tower if they wanted their bodies back.

"...So, that's what happened," Indigo sighed, after finishing the story "and as you can see, we haven't made much progress since then..."

"Wow, you guys are having a lot of rotten luck huh?" Drilbur mused as she ate on an Oran Berry Aciri gave her. "I still find it hard to believe that you two were once humans. I never been around humans, so I don't know what they're like. But I do know that other Pokemon should avoid those weird-looking humans back in the cave."

"Those people call themselves Team Plasma," Aciri explained "They say they're trying to liberate Pokemon from people, but we believe there's more to that. There has to be..."

"Well, we don't have to worry about them for right now," Lancelot said "We should lay low here for a while before continuing on. Nacrene City is not too far from here, but I suggest we get there before it gets dark." Aciri suddenly made a noise that made Lancelot look over at his former Trainer. She was making a face; it was hard to tell if she was sad, proud, or incredibly happy.

"...We met just yesterday and you've already evolved..." she whispered "It must've been all the training I've put you through when we first started..." Lancelot made a humming sound as he leaned against the rock slab, looking thoughtful.

"That may have been the cause," the Dewott mused "but I don't think so." He looked up towards the sky, letting a gentle breeze weave through his whiskers. "I believe it's because...because we trusted each other. From the moment I met you in that place, I could just _feel_ this connection, like we would be best friends forever. And then when we began to travel, that connection grew stronger and stronger. I got this urge to prove myself to you; to prove that, no matter who we're going up against, no matter what kinds of challenges we'll face, I had to pull through for the both of us. I wanted you to be proud of me..."

Aciri had a soft smile on her face as she went over to her precious starter and took one of his paws into her hands.

"You didn't have to prove yourself to me," she said "because I knew from the very moment we met, you were special. I knew you wouldn't be like any other Oshawott - or Dewott for that matter. But you'll always be my irreplaceable, invaluable partner, and friend, Lancelot."

Drilbur, Indigo and Gawain had been listening very closely to Aciri and Lancelot. Indigo began to have memories of how he cherished his Pignite and Herdier the same way Aciri cherishes her Dewott, and wished that he could somehow, someway, contact them and tell them that he was sorry, and that he still cared for them, even if he sort of taken advantage of them in the past. But they were almost at Nacrene City...if he could get to a phone, then he could possibly...

Gawain, on the other hand, was a bit jealous of how close Aciri and Lancelot were. He never had that connection with his old Trainer; he was a birthday gift to her, and it was on that same day that the girl decided to take the Pokemon League challenge. But she was so inexperience and knew nothing about the outside world, and didn't really know how to properlly care for Gawain and give him the love and attention he needed. On top of that, she depended on him too much; he was unfamiliar to the world as he was, so he couldn't possibly do anything on his own without his Trainer's guidance. And then she had the nerve to release him near a predator! And yet...on that same day, he met Indigo, who somehow helped him meet Aciri, another girl Trainer who changed everything. Sure he might not be as close to her like Lancelot is, but she has already showed how much she cared for him in Wellspring Cave. Perhaps he didn't need to be with her too long to grow a bond with her.

And then there was Drilbur, who had no contact with humans all her life. From the moment she was born, Drilbur was taught to never trust humans, because they'll only end up hurting you in the end. She had heard stories about how Trainers would come into Wellspring Cave and capture her friends and take them away, never to be seen again. She was slightly afraid of Trainers, throwing their metal spheres at Pokemon, capturing them, and then making them battle for their own entertainment. But what if that wasn't necessarily true with every Trainer? If what Indigo said is true and these Scrafty are really humans, then maybe not all Trainers are bad. Aciri clearly cares for Lancelot, and Lancelot feels the same way about her. Maybe if Drilbur was lucky enough, she could meet another trainer like them.

No, she has already met some nice Trainers. They were in front of her, but in different shapes. Drilbur has secretly wanted to venture outside her cave dwelling to see what the outside world was really like. It seemed so big, so vast, and she lived on the same planet with other Pokemon she has never seen before. All her life, she had been coddled in that little cave until she was old enough to look after herself, and never dared to step foot outside her home. And yet, after this group of Pokemon just ran into her home, she saw how real Trainer ans Pokemon interacted with one another. They support each other, look after each other, and in some cases, put the other's well-being before their own. Indigo has shown that the most, putting the female and her Pokemon's safety before hs own, and took on two Pokemon by himself. But the other two stepped in to help because they knew he couldn't do it on his own...This Scrafty...there was something about his that she liked.

"Your name's Indigo, right?" Drilbur asked, poking at said Scrafty.

"Uh, yeah," Indigo replied, rubbing the spot Drilbur had poked him at (even though it was a light poke, the claws of a Drilbur still hurt a little). "Why?"

Drilbur started to mess with a few blades of grass, only to slice clean through them. "I was wondering...if I could join you guys?"

Indigo blinked. "Wait-what?"

"Let me come with you!" Drilbur stood up. "To tell the truth, I've never been outside my cave for years now, and I've always wanted to travel and see what the outside world was like. But...I was afraid of Trainers, and thought if I tried to leave, I might get captured. And I was taught that all Pokemon Trainers were bad, but I want to believe that there are some nice ones out there. And then you guys came along...and if what you say is true and you're humans, then I want to see for myself. Plus I want to help so..."

"We'll be glad if you would join us, Drilbur," Aciri smiled "You already showed us how useful you are. I mean, those pitfall traps saved us!"

"But wouldn't it be bad if she just walked around with us?" Gawain pondered "I mean, what'll happen if we ran into a Trainer on our way to the next town and they end up capturing Drilbur? We can't have that happen!"

"Good point," Lancelot hummed "You might have to let Aciri or Indigo capture you Drilbur. Just as a precaution. You never know what you can run into out there..."

"If that's the case," Drilbur said "I already chose who I want to be captured by." She poked Indigo again, making his eyes widen a bit. "Him."

The Scrafty-human yelped. "Why me?"

"You just stick out in my mind the most," Drilbur shrugged "Plus, you're kinda cool. I think you can attract an adventure from miles away!"

Indigo smiled at the remark, then remembered something important. "Uh, as much as I'd like you to join the team Drilbur, I don't have anything to catch you with. I lost all of my Pokeballs after I was cursed."

"You can use one of mine," Aciri said before she tossed on of her Balls to Indigo. He caught it, pressing the button and making it go back to its normal size. Drilbur stared at the device, feeling her fear creep back into her mind again.

"Will it hurt?" she winced.

"Nah," Gawain replied "It's cozy in there, actually." Drilbur made a slight face, then shook it off, deciding that thinking about it would only hinder her. She made her choice, and it was too late to chicken out.

"So," Drilbur said casually "how do I get in?"

"Press the button in the middle," Indigo explained "and once you get inside, relax and allow yourself to get captured. It'll come to you once you get inside." Drilbur went silent while looking at the Pokeball. This little metal sphere was going to be her gateway to an adventure with some possibly new friends. She had already made this choice to stay by them the moment she follow them out of the cave. There was no turning back now.

The mole sighed softly, before she used her nose to push the button in the middle of the Pokeball. A red beam shot out from the button, surrounded her body, and converted her body into energy before pulling her into the device. She almost panicked, feeling her body change as she entered the Ball. She began to think that she made the wrong decision, but then, once she got inside, it felt...comforting, warm, and inviting. She found herself drifting off, almost in a sleep-like state and waited.

Aciri, Gawain, Indigo and Lancelot watched closely as the red light on the Ball blinked repeatedly. It felt like it was taking forever - but it was only a few long seconds - before there was a loud click, and the light stopped blinking.

Drilbur had been caught.

Smiling to himself, Indigo tossed the Pokeball into the air, and released Drilbur back into the outside world with them. The little mole stretched and yawned, then faced her new Trainer and friends.

"Whoa, you were right," she said "Those things are comfy!"

"Told you," Gawain sang. Indigo's smile grew wider as he held out his hand towards Drilbur, who shook it and returned the Scrafty's smile.

"Welcome to the gang," he said cheekily, then added "Lara-Lee." Drilbur blinked.

"Lara-Lee?" she repeated.

"It's nickname," Aciri explained "A nickname is a name your Trainer gives to you upon capture, if they chose to. When a Pokemon is given a nickname, not only does it makes it better for others to identify you as someone's Pokemon, but you're already building a friendship with them by giving them a name, like a human mom or dad would give a name to their kids."

"To Trainers, a Pokemon is more than a partner," Indigo added "It's your friend, and a part of your family. I believe giving your Pokemon nicknames helps enforce that. I thought about your name the second you entered your Pokeball, since Aciri and I give nicknames to our Pokemon. So, what do you think? Like it?"

Drilbur crossed her arms and looked thoughtful; she never knew Trainers would actually give their Pokemon names. It seemed so...human-like. And yet...she liked her name.

"Lara-Lee..." she hummed "Hmmm...yeah...yeah! I like it! It's a great name! From now on, I'll be known as Lara-Lee!" Indigo laughed, and Gawain wanted to celebrate on gaining a new member, but the sound of enraged members of Team Plasma emerging from Wellspring Cave made them have second thoughts. Everyone ducked into the grass, and hoped that they weren't spotted by the knight-garbled Grunts.

It looked like it was going to be another long day for the gang...

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** I wanna point out something before I wrap this up: Like I said before, most of this is mostly going by the pace on how I play Pokemon Black and White. And by this point of the game, any of my starters would've evolved into their second stage by now. I know everyone has a different pace on how they play the game, but I'm a person who trains her Pokemon to a certain level before moving on to be prepared for Gym/Boss battles. So if Lancelot evolved too early for some of you, I'm sorry, but that's how it would've been for me in the game.

On another note, I made sure to go back and correct any mistakes that I could find; spellchecker doesn't work on the document manager anymore, and since I'm currently working on school computers and going over it without glasses, I will miss some typos. but rest assure that I will go back and correct any of them that I missed.

Review if you want to, but don't flame. I'm not the best writer in the world (and none of these writers on this site are perfect authors either...Just saying. Not trying to offend anyone).


	7. Some iNteresting Events

**A/N:** My GAWD this took a while...

* * *

><p>Gawain squawked happily as he used his beak to tear into a sugar cookie and gobbled it down. The ragtag group of Pokemon had finally made it to Nacrene City after a semi-long trek through Route 3. It took them longer than expected to get to the city since Indigo insisted that they trained Lara-Lee a once wild Drilbur that helped them escape the clutches of Team Plasma to a decent level where she equaled the power and strength of Lancelot. Gawain did a little training too, but since he hadn't trained ever since Aciri was transformed back in the Dreamyard, he hardly stood a chance against the wild Pokemon on the Route. Nonetheless, Gawain had gotten a little stronger.<p>

"So this is a city," Lara-Lee murmured as her head turned in every direction to examine everything in Nacrene. "It looks so...old fashioned. I expected tall buildings and flashing lights and a lot more commotion to be honest."

"Oh, trust me, you'll get the hustle and bustle of the city once we get to Castelia, which is just beyond here," Indigo chuckled a bit "But Nacrene is mostly known for it's old fashioned atmosphere and laid-back feel. The most popular things here are the museum and the Pokemon Gym."

"Which I could be challenging right now if a certain Scrafty didn't come along..." Aciri muttered while slightly glaring at Indigo. Said Scrafty grinned sheepishly while Lara-Lee blinked.

"What's a museum? And what the heck is a Gym?"

"If I recall correctly," Lancelot mused "Pokemon Gyms are places where your strength is tested. There are 8 Gyms in total in our region, and in each Gym is a Gym Leader who specializes in certain types of Pokemon. The Leaders are tough, but if you can best them, you'll earn a Gym Badge, which is solid proof of your victory."

Lara-Lee's mouth was slightly ajar. "So, you're telling me that you guys," She motioned towards Aciri and Indigo "take us Pokemon to these 'Gyms,' and you gotta beat the leader, get a badge and you need to get 8 of them?"

"Getting the Gym Badges isn't a collect-a-thon if that's what you're thinking," Aciri laughed "Though it may not seem like it, challenging the Gyms is more than testing your strength. It also tests your closeness and trust with your Pokemon, and if you know how to use each other's strength. If neither the Pokemon or the trainer trust each other, nor can they work as a team, there's no way you'll beat the Gym."

"I have 3 badges so far..." Indigo murmured before he glanced at the ground "...but I lost them when I was cursed."

"Wow! You was almost half-way there!" Lara-Lee exclaimed, clearly impressed. Then her face fell slightly. "It's a shame you lost your badges, though...That must've sucked."

"Big time," Indigo agreed, then smiled softly. "But, y'know...I don't think I even deserved one."

"What makes you say that?" Lancelot asked. Indigo's face softened as he sat against the brick building and looked up towards the sky. There were a few Pidove perched on some of the rooftops, having conversations with each other.

"You guys already know that I came here from Kanto to complete in Unova's Pokemon League," he said softly "but the thing is...I had just became a Trainer when I received my starter. Yeah I went to a Pokemon School, but that didn't mean that I knew everything and was ready for the outside world. But I felt so sure of myself, and I figured, why compete there? There has to be another region with better Pokemon and a better League. So I did some research, and I heard about Unova's League. I come form a fairly rich family, so they were more than happy to ship me over here to make something of myself. But...I...my Pokemon...I relied on them too much and pushed them too hard. Instead of relying on my own strength and confidence, I relied on theirs. I took advantage of them without even realizing it. Sure I love them I love them more than anything in this world! but I couldn't raise them. They had to raise _me_ and...and I just feel that I'm not cut out to be a real Pokemon Trainer...Of course, I realize that now _after_ I'm stuck like this..!"

Silence. Aciri and Lara-Lee exchanged glances while Lancelot could only feel guilty for judging him. Gawain had stopped focusing on his cookie long enough to hear Indigo, and made a soft, yet sad cooing noise. Aciri, who was more disturbed about his words for whatever reason, was tapping the side of her metal cup (some adult Trainers saw the group looking for food and decided to give them some of theirs, along with some drinks) with her finger.

"Have you ever tried to talk to your Pokemon?" she suddenly asked "They'll be able to understand better now that you're a Pokemon."

"I've thought about that," Indigo nodded "but I don't dare do so. They probably think I've abandoned them and don't want to see me ever again for all I know..."

"But you can try," Aciri urged "You said you still love them, right? Whether or not you're a good Trainer or not, your Pokemon will love you back as long as you do. Just _try_..." Indigo made a soft humming noise before he sighed deeply.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to check on 'em," he eventually muttered, causing a smile to creep across Aciri's face. "But I'm not doing it until tonight. We'll have to sneak into the nearest Pokemon Center and use one of their phones. We'll just have to pass some time out here until then."

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Lancelot asked "To the rest of the world, we're a bunch of wild Pokemon who are traveling in a group for whatever reason."

"Aww...does this mean we can't go to the museum?" Lara-Lee pouted. "I wanted to go there!"

"I don't think they'd..." Everyone glanced at Indigo, who was staring wide eyed in the direction in front of them.

"Hey Indigo," Gawain asked as he perched himself on his crest yet again. "What's the matter? Why'd you cut yourself off?" Indigo ignored Gawain, and instead looked over at Aciri and slightly tilted his head in the direction he was looking in. Aciri followed his gaze, only to find herself making a face. A boy around their age was coming towards them. He was tall and lanky looking, with long, messy green hair that was tied in a ponytail. A large black and white trucker hat nearly covered his eyes as he kept his head low, but Aciri could clearly see that he was focusing on them. Gawain, Lancelot and Lara-Lee saw him too, but pretended to look as if they were busy to avoid eye contact. Aciri decided it wouldn't be smart to keep looking at him, so she started to dig in her bag just to make herself look busy.

"Psssst! Indigo!" Lancelot whispered "Who is that?"

"I'll explain later," the Scrafty whispered back "but I know him. If he asks you anything regarding your Trainer, don't answer, or say you're a wild Pokemon." Lancelot made a face and was about to ask what he meant by that, but kept his mouth closed when he saw the boy was now upon them. Lancelot had his paw hovering over one of his scal-chops, only to pause when he noticed that the boy was more focused on Aciri.

_'Oh for Arceus' sake!' _she hissed in her head_ 'Why did I have to be a Shiny?'_

The boy kneeled in front of Aciri, seemingly ignoring the other Pokemon for the time being and focused more on the shiny creature before him. Aciri, now getting very uncomfortable, gripped the strap to her bag and glanced up at the long haired boy, who now had a Pidove perched on his shoulder.

"Um...hi?" she squeaked, getting a small smile form the boy.

"Hello," the boy replied. "My name is N. What are you doing here by yourselves?"

'_Weird name for a kid...'_ "Uh-"

"We're just exploring the city," Lancelot replied quickly "So much to see here, you know? Relaxing atmosphere, nice people, the food..." The boy nodded in understanding, but didn't seem that convinced.

"Are you...abandoned Pokemon?" he asked. Indigo opened his mouth to reply, but luckily, Lara-Lee answered for him.

"Nah, we're wild Pokemon," she said casually, "We've been friends ever since we were little, and we're traveling for a bit."

"Yeah! Traveling's been fun!" Gawain added cheerfully "We've been to two towns already! I don't know where we're going after we leave here, but we were about to head to the museum!"

N made a face. "But why would you want to go there? That place is more like some sort of morgue. I can't believe humans would pay money to go see stuffed corpses and skeletons of my friends..."

Aciri blinked. "Your...friends?" _'This guy talks too fast...'_

"That's right," N nodded "Pokemon are my friends. Humans are nothing but meanies, making my friends battle, and they end up getting hurt...And they bully Pokemon too. That's why...that's why I'm trying to save the Pokemon now...so my friends won't get hurt..." The boy sighed. He was now sitting on the ground in front of the group while his Pidove and Gawain were perched on a little fountain not too far away, having their own conversation. "Just now, I challenged the Gym and got the Badge, but then I ran into a boy I know and challenged him, but we lost. Hilbert was his name, I believe. He and his Snivy are strong...but...I don't understand why his Snivy like him so much."

"Not all Trainers are bad," Aciri said softly "Take my sis-I mean, a human friend of mine, for example. She has a Snivy like this Hilbert guy, but she's very nice to her Pokemon. They had met just yesterday, and they already trust each other a lot!"

N made a face while messing with this weird Rubix cube thing around his neck that Aciri couldn't make out what it was exactly. "Was this girl's name Penelope?"

Aciri's eyes widened slightly while Lancelot snuck a glance at his former Trainer. _'So this was the guy Penelope told me about back in Striaton,'_ Aciri thought.

"Yeah, that's her name," Aciri nodded. "And her Snivy's name is Ivy." N nodded as the encounter played back in his mind. Just the other day, just before he ran into that brown haired girl with the Tepig, she saw a red haired girl with a Snivy...

. . .

_As the crowd dispersed from the park where an odd speech had been held, N watched the Snivy with her Trainer from a distance. He may have been a few feet away, but he could still hear Snivy's words as if she was right next to him. The Grass Snake Pokemon was peering into an accessory store for Pokemon, ogling at the many tiaras, scarves and ribbons that were currently on display. Snivy had a longing look in her eye, wishing that she could go inside and pick out the most fabulous bow or ribbon to make her appearance even more stunning._

_The girl made a soft smile and she took the Snivy into her arms and allowed her to look into the store more clearly. Snivy sighed, deciding that it obtaining one of those ribbons wasn't meant to be._

_"Aw, don't worry Ivy!" the girl hugged Snivy, who seemed to have perked up at her Trainer's words "Daddy gave me a little money before I left, but since we got the Trainer Starter Kit for free, I can spend a few cents on you if you want!" Snivy or Ivy, as the girl called her looked up with her Trainer while her eyes seemed to be sparkling with excitement._

_"You...you mean it?" she asked, though the girl couldn't understand her like N could. Nonetheless, the girl nodded and took out her wallet from her bag._

_"Don't worry about how much I'm willing to spend," she smiled "Your happiness comes first, Ivy. So if it's an accessory you want, then you'll get it, as long as it's not too expansive. I'm going to need supplies for you and Panther while we're traveling, y'know? Still..."The girl set Ivy on the ground and kneeled down in front of her until the girl was at Ivy's eye level._

_"I'm going to need you to train a little bit. I know battling isn't your thing, but what if we're in a tight situation and I only have you to fall back on? I'm going to be relying on you just as you're going to rely on me. i just got Panther sent to me, as you know, and I'm not sure what other Pokemon to catch...So, will you just do me this one favor? Get stronger while we travel, and I promise that I'll let you show off when you do battle. Remember, we gotta work as a team, and that calls for cooperation form both the Trainer and his or her Pokemon. So...will you?"_

_Ivy glanced at the ground for a bit, not really sure what to do. Sure she just me this girl this morning, but, it seems like she could understand her feelings just by reading her body language. Truth to be told, Ivy wasn't looking forward to going with some stranger the moment she came out of her Pokeball. But the moment she saw that glow in this girl's eyes, how excited and happy she was to receive a Pokemon, Ivy had no choice but to put her faith in this Trainer. And yet...it seems as if both of them put their faith in each other. Ivy suddenly felt her gut twist at the mere thought of disappointing her Trainer. Especially after how nice she's been to pay for her grooming back in the Pokemon Center..._

_Ivy nodded. "I promise I'll do my best, Penelope," she said, even though she knew Penelope couldn't understand her at all. "Just...just nothing too brutal, 'kay? I don't want my gorgeous scales to get damaged..."_

_"Great!" Penelope beamed before she gently rubbed Ivy's head, letting the feel of her smooth scales touch her fingers. "Now let's get you something especially pretty, 'kay? After all, you need something to enhance your beauty if you're gonna compete in Musicals."_

_Ivy let out a squeal as she began to hop up and down excitedly before jumping into Penelope's arms._

_"Yaaaay! Oh Penelope, you don't know how much this means to me! To think, you and I will be on stage with the spotlights shining down, on US! Our name will be everywhere, and I'll be the most fabulous Snivy ever! You're going to be my bestest friend Penelope! And I promise I'll try my very hardest when we train! I'll be strong, just for you!"_

_N couldn't hear the rest of Snivy's words, but he had heard more than enough to investigate. Why did Snivy like that girl so much? How come she's not sad or upset to be with her? And...why did she say this girl was her best friend? N needed answers, and he was going to get them._

_"Excuse me..." N said as he walked over. Penelope looked at the boy and cocked her head while Ivy climbed on her shoulder and glanced at N warily._

_"Can I help you?" Penelope asked politely._

_"Your Snivy," N rambled "Just now, she was saying..."_

_Penelope frowned. "Um...you talk way too fast," she said "but you can understand what Ivy says?"_

_N nodded. "Yes. I can speak to Pokemon, but..." he looked at Ivy, who made a soft hissing sound. "How come you like this girl so much?"_

_"What kind of question is that?" Ivy scoffed "There are a lot of reasons why I like - no - LOVE Penelope. She and I see eye to eye when it comes to beauty and fashion. On top of that, she's as sweet as can be and doesn't make me do things I don't know to do. She may not be able to speak to me like you can, but she knows how I feel. That alone is better than what some of these trainers can do..."_

_"Your Snivy really trusts you, it seems," N mused, while Ivy put on a smug look._

_"Really?" Penelope gushed. "That's great! I wasn't sure she'd like me because I just became a Trainer this morning, but Ivy and I have been getting along great and I figured"_

_"You just met Snivy this morning?" N asked, cutting her off._

_Penelope shrugged. "Pretty much...See, my sister and I became Trainers today, and we're competing in the Pokemon League. Well, my sister is...Ivy doesn't like battling too much, so we're trying to see if we can compete in Talent Shows or Musicals, and maybe even Contests! But I'm still traveling so that I can collect the Gym Badges and train my Pokemon. But...I only have Ivy and Panther with me right now, but I'm going to befriend and catch more Pokemon, so it's not a big deal! Oh, have you seen my sister? She's albino-looking with long, blonde hair and has an Oshawott. But knowing her, it might be a Dewott by now...Oh! My sister's really smart too! While we were in school, she studied about all the different kinds of Pokemon in each region, all the different kinds of moves, types, items and so much more! But she never battled before, but I have! Once, anyway...We had a battle on Route 1, but I lost...Ivy felt bad, but I wouldn't let her beat herself up over it because I could tell she didn't like to battle, but my sis's Oshawott is so cool and strong! And it looks like he really, really loves my sister...Oh, did you know that an Oshawott's scallop actually grew out of its bellybutton? I never knew that until my sis told me! I think it's cute."_

_N noticed that Penelope had this cheery, yet warm and welcoming smile that reminded him of how his mother figure took care of him as a child. I felt at ease around this girl, which was odd, since he didn't like to be around other people. He could almost feel a good aura radiating off of her, which made him less tense. And then, there was that one part where she would just ramble on about any and every subject that was related to her last sentence. And yet, there was a hint of admiration in her voice whenever she talked about her older sibling. N wasn't fortunate enough to have any siblings on his own. Thought he didn't mind being an only child, he sometimes wished he had a brother or sister to share his passion of saving Pokemon. But when it gets right down to it, N would rather have it that way. In fact, he referred some of the smaller Pokemon as his brothers and sisters._

_Ivy seemed to have noticed N's exasperated look (even though she didn't mind her Trainer's constant chatter), and gently patted her shoulder with her leaf-like tail to get her attention. Penelope paused and turned towards the Grass Snake, only to see Ivy point towards N. When she saw N's expression, her face flushed with embarrassment._

_"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed "Daddy told me about that...I really need to stop rambling!"_

_N smiled. "It's ok...you did no harm."_

_"Oh, good," Penelope sighed "Anyway, thought I'm going to be competing in the League, I'm going to make sure not to push my Pokemon too hard. I don't want to confuse them or cause them any pain, but we'll still do our best!"_

_"Well, as long as you're not hurting Snivy..." he said softly._

_"I actually have a name now," Ivy said matter-of-factly as she whipped her tail. "My name is Ivy now, and I want to be called as such from now on."_

_N blinked. "Ok then...Ivy."_

_"I would never hurt Ivy!" Penelope gasped, while said Snivy rubbed her head against Penelope's cheek lovingly while making what sounded like a satisfied hiss. "By the way, are you competing in the League too?"_

_N nodded. "Yes..."_

_"Cool! You look strong. Maybe we could have a battle one day."_

_"Actually..." N took a Pokeball from his belt and sent out a Purrloin. The feline yawned and stretched before looking up at Ivy and got into an attack stance. "If you don't mind, I want to test your bond with your Pokemon."_

_Penelope frowned slightly while Ivy glared at the Purrloin. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was still feeling sour after her loss against her sister Aciri. Though their Pokemon were at equal strength when they battled, Penelope could see the sheer determination in both Aciri and her Oshawott's eyes back on Route 1. Though it was true that she had battled once as a child, that didn't mean that she was an expert. Maybe it was because Aciri studied more and watched battles on television while she was ore focused on her hair and make up when they were little kids. Maybe her sister was better at battling than she was. But that didn't mean Penelope wasn't good at battling...she just need to know how to fully use the strength of her Pokemon properly. That was something she learned after her loss._

_"Ok," Penelope said before taking a shrunken Loveball from her belt. "However, Ivy doesn't like battling too much, so I'll use this little one!"_

_She pushed the button on the Ball, causing it to increase in size and release the creature from within. The creature turned out to be another Purrloin specifically a male. He yawned and stretched a little, but when he caught sight of his female counterart glaring at him, he smirked and got into the battle position._

_"Well it's about time I get to see some action!" he grinned. The female Purrloin made a face while N gave Panther a look._

_"Let's do our best, Panther!" Penelope cheered. Said Purrloin looked back at his Trainer and sent her a small nod._

_"I'll make sure we won't lose," he said seriously. Panther then turned back at his opponent and growled. The female Purrloin hissed back at him. However, despite Penelope's confidence, she still felt a little unsure about herself. She had just lost to her sister, which was nearly an easy victory for them, even though Aciri had a type disadvantage against her. It was bad enough that their Pokemon were at the same level, but how will Panther stand up to an opponent that was most likely stronger than him. She had her doubts, but she trusted Panther. He's been her best friend ever since her father gave him to her all those years ago. Sure he was just a house pet, but Penelope could see potential. And now was the time to let it come out..._

_"I'm a gentleman," N said "so I'll let you go first."_

_Penelope nodded, then gave out her command._

_The battle had began._

. . .

"Her Purrloin was stronger than what I had first anticipated, but he had to work hard for his victory." N was finishing up his story about his encounter with Aciri's sister. Everyone was listening to N's words intently (except for Gawain, who fell asleep on his perch), letting each word of detail sink into their heads. Aciri especially. She remembered when Penelope told her about her encounter with the boy, and about her first victory as an official Trainer against him. She seemed so happy, yet so worried, and possibly unsure. Why that was, she didn't know. And yet...she felt Penelope could hold her own better than her older sister.

"She seems like a very nice person," N went on, getting Aciri out of her thoughts "Her Snivy and Purrloin trusts her a lot...I've never seen a Pokemon trust a human like that before..."

"Yeah! There are a lot of good Trainers in the world!" Gawain exclaimed happily, surprising everyone since he was asleep literally seconds ago "Like Aciri and Indigo!" Said Poke-humans felt lumps grow in their throats while Lancelot and Lara-Lee snuck a warning glance at the Rufflet. Gawain - now realizing his mistake - laughed nervously when he noticed N's confused look.

"Who's Aciri and Indigo?" N asked curiously.

"Some people we know," Lara-Lee answered quickly while waving it off. "We used to play with them at a Day-Care back on Route 3. But they're older now, and on journeys of their own." Lancelot noticed that the Pidove had a look in his eye that seemed like he knew that they were hiding something. He made note of that, but pretended to ignore it so he wouldn't arouse any suspicions in neither N or Pidove.

"We haven't seen them in a while," Indigo added, trying to make the lie seem plausible "but since we're traveling too, there's a high chance we'll run into them along the way."

"And what if they try to capture you?" N asked "They'll tear your group apart, cramp you into Pokeballs, and force you to battle and hurt each other!"

"Well, if they do, then we'll allow them to." Lancelot shrugged, causing N to put on a look of horror mixed with disgust.

"So you're going to allow those Trainers to take away your freedom?"

"It's not like they're bad people," Gawain said softly "Aciri's really nice and she would ask us if we wanted to join her before trying to capture us!"

"Not to mention that she gently pushes us to train so that we can show our full potential," Lancelot added "But I know for a fact that she wouldn't force us to do anything we wouldn't want to do. I remember that day I first met her as an Oshawott...and I'll never forget her."

"And Indigo's really cool!" Lara-Lee added while crossing her arms "He may not seem like much at first, but he's really brave and will do anything to protect those he cares about, even if it meant putting his own life on the line! On top of that, he loves adventure, and everyday is as exciting as the last!"

"And one thing they have in common," Aciri added "is that...they love their Pokemon, very, _very_ much..."

"No one's perfect," Indigo murmured "and the only way they'll learn is to go out there, in this big, wide and cruel world, and overcome challenges, find out more about themselves, make new friends, meet more Pokemon, and change a little..."

"The point is," Lancelot went on "they're traveling together, and if they wanted us to join their journey, then we would. Not because we were forced to, but because we _wanted_ to."

"Being in Pokeballs isn't so bad either," Lara-Lee went on "I heard they're really comfortable, despite how they look."

"And battling's really fun!" Gawain chirped "I'll admit, I'm not very strong, but I'm gonna train and become stronger, so my future Trainer will be proud of me!"

"N, listen...we all know there are some very mean people out there who harm Pokemon," Aciri said, causing the green-haired boy's expression to soften "and we understand your concern. But the counter them, there are people out there who care deeply for Pokemon and will do everything in their power to help them. Take Pokemon Centers for example. They were specifically made to help sick, injured and abused Pokemon when taken there. And the nurses and doctors who work there dedicated their lives to helping them, sometimes putting the Pokemon's health before their own. It's just a matter of trusting the right person. And when you do, then you'll become friends."

"Like us!" Gawain laughed "I was scared of bigger Pokemon, to tell the truth, but when I met these guys, I learned how it's ok to trust someone sometimes, and I gained some good friends in the process!"

"I find this hard to believe," N mumbled while shaking his head "All my life, I've only known Pokemon who have been hurt by humans..." N looked down towards the ground. "Humans are meanies, no matter what. Pokemon are my friends, and I refuse to allow them to keep hurting them. To save the Pokemon...they'll have to be separated from humans for good."

N stood up, turned, and began to walk away from the group of Pokemon, leaving them with bewildered looks on their faces. They watched him walk away until he went around a corner before Lara-Lee made a humming sound.

"Well...that...was odd, to say the least..." she murmured.

"Tell me about it," Lancelot added "What an odd boy..."

"I dunno," Gawain said "but I like that he can understand Pokemon!"

"That reminds me..." Aciri looked thoughtful "Do you think he could tell the difference between us and our Pokemon, Indigo?"

Said Scrafty turned towards the Shiny female. "Whaddya mean by that?"

"He said he can understand and talk to Pokemon," Aciri pointed out "But does that mean that he can hear regular talking like humans, or...y'know..." Indigo's eyes suddenly widened.

"You don't think he knows we're not actually Pokemon, do you?"

"It's hard to tell..." Aciri crossed her arms. " He said he could talk to Pokemon...but he wasn't specific. So that can mean anything...So for all we know, he can either hear regular talking or can just understand the Pokemon's separate language. Hard to tell which..."

"So..." Lancelot spoke up "are you guys saying that we already gave ourselves away just by talking to the guy?"

"...Meaning that he saw that you two are actual talking Scrafty?" Lara-Lee added slowly.

Indigo felt his pupils shrink. "...Also realizing that a mix of Pokemon species just sitting here in a group for whatever reason isn't natural..."

"I have a question," Gawain said while raising one of his wings. "How come he never said anything about Aciri's bag...?" 5 sets of eyes fell on Aciri's pink bag slung around her shoulder, that had been there ever since she transformed in the Dreamyard. It stood out just as much as Aciri's odd-colored skin, as well as the fact there was a _Pokemon_ carrying it around when it really had no need for it. Surely N saw it while speaking with them, but how come he never...?

"Does that explain why he seemed so interested in her more than us?" Lara-Lee asked. Everyone stared at each other in silence for the longest time before Lancelot got up and motioned for them to follow.

"We're not safe here," he said urgently "We need to find that Pokemon Center and get out of the streets as soon as possible!"

Aciri brought up the Town Map on her XTransceiver and located the nearest Pokemon Center in Nacrene. Once she said that it was three blocks down from their current location, everyone picked themselves up from the ground and made their way towards the Center, all while making sure to stay out of sight by ducking into allies and taking back roads instead of the main ones.

By the time they reached the Center, the sky was a deep golden orange color as the sun began to set. They hadn't realized how much time had passed since they were so caught up with N, but hey - if it passed the time then it was ok with them!

Luckily for them, wild Pokemon were welcome to come into and leave the Centers as they pleased, as long as they weren't aggressive, stealing or just being a nuisance to the other Pokemon and Trainers. No one really paid attention to them once they were inside the building Aside from noticing how they were traveling in a group, and the fact Aciri was a Shiny Scrafty (much to her annoyance), there was no problem. The receptionist and nurses working on their shifts made it known to leave them alone unless they were out on the training battlefields or out on the other Routes, so they were safe from capture...for now.

Still, that wasn't going to stop them from getting comfortable. They were fed, bathed (except for Lara-Lee, who enjoyed a dirt-rub due to the fact that she was a Ground type), and even given check-ups to make sure they were in good health. Aciri wanted to save her Potions and status healers, so she was more than happy to allow the nurses and Audino to heal them of their minor injuries from the training and their encounter with Team Plasma. Now they were sitting in the lobby, watching the many Trainers and Pokemon get treated, buy from the shop, eat and train before retiring to their rooms for the night.

Aciri, Indigo and Lancelot sat on a couch near a bookshelf (since Aciri wanted a good book to read while they waited) while Gawain and Lara-Lee were on the floor, playing a game of "I Spy." Indigo was looking intently in the direction of the phones, having many things race through his mind.

'_If I call them, Professor Juniper might question my whereabouts and what I've been up to...or even call my parents...But I need to talk to my Pokemon...they need to know I still care about 'em...but what if they won't forgive me...? Will it even be worth it in the end?'_

"I'm sure they'll be glad to see you again." Indigo jumped, then turned towards Aciri and Lancelot, who were both looking at him. Aciri had a apologetic smile on her face while Lancelot's expression was sympathetic.

"You could tell, huh...?" he sighed.

"Well, you've been staring at the phones ever since we sat down," Lancelot pointed out "It's pretty obvious that your nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Indigo murmured "I'm...I'm scared...what if -"

"They _will_ forgive you, Indigo," Aciri said firmly "Just trust me." Indigo sighed again and hung his head, only to perk up when he heard the bell ring over the intercom.

"Ok Trainers, gather your Pokemon!" a nurse's voice instructed over the intercom "Those who are staying please report to your rooms after you have picked up your Pokemon, finished a phone call or finished your Training. Those who are not, please exit the Center quietly and do not bother the wild Pokemon who have entered. Thank you for using our services, and we hope to see you again!"

There was a "click!" over the intercom, but it was hard to hear over the chattering of both Pokemon and humans. Most were beginning to head to their rooms in the back while other said their goodbyes to friends and family before leaving. There were other wild Pokemon there as well, but they were following the Trainers to back where the rooms where. As for the two Scrafty, Dewott, Drilbur and Rufflet, they were at a bit of a loss on where to go.

"So...do we follow them or...?" Lara-Lee asked, pointing towards the Trainers heading to he back.

"Ahh...I'm pretty sure they have little habitats for wild Pokemon who decide to stay here," Indigo mused "Thing is, I'm not sure where they are...I think they're either in the basement or outside somewhere..."

"Excuse me~" An Audino wearing a nurse's cap with a pink cross approached the group, sounding as sweet as she looked. "Can you all follow me for a moment please?" Everyone exchanged quick glances before they followed the Audino outside. She led them past the battlefield and into a wooden gate, where a hidden area lay. The Pokemon - excluding Audino - gaped at what was before them.

The crystal clear pond was the first thing they saw since it was smack-dab in the middle of the habitat, but the surrounding areas were divided into small little areas on their own. At the bottom left, was your typical grassy area with tall grass and a few trees, above it was a more dense forest exotic fruits and plants. Besides that area was a little desert with gold sand and a little cliff, and below that area was a little marsh with swampy ground and puddles covering the ground. It was like many natural habitats were blended into one.

"Amazing..." Aciri breathed.

"So _this_ is where the wild Pokemon went..." Indigo added.

"You'll be staying here for the night," the Audino explained to them while they looked around the area "You're more than welcome to make yourselves comfortable. There are many fruit bearing tree here, so food is plentiful! But please be respectful of the other Pokemon here. Enjoy your stay!" Audino bowed before she left the group, closing the gate behind her. Gawain, Lancelot and Lara-Lee immediately departed, each of them going to their rightful areas. Gawain perched himself in one of the trees of the grassy area, Lancelot made himself at home in the pond in the middle, and Lara-Lee burrowed into the sand of the desert area, only leaving the two Scrafty.

"They seem excited, don't they?" Aciri laughed.

"Yeah," Indigo added while he hands were on the back of his head. "I'm not too surprised by Lara, though. That's the closest she'll ever get to a real desert."

Aciri smiled a bit, then it faded as she turned towards the Scrafty-human. "So...what are you going to do now?"

"I have no choice but to wait," Indigo sighed, letting his arms drop. "The nurses and Audino tun in at 11 o' clock exactly. It's a little after 8 now, so I'll have to wait 3 hours before I can have a clear shot at the phones. But I did this before, so I'll be ok..."

Indigo turned towards his Shiny counterpart with a serious expression on his face. "You get some rest, 'kay? And...don't worry about me. If anything happens, I'll get myself out of it."

Aciri opened her mouth to say something, but Indigo took off towards the gate before she could. Indigo was at the gate in a flash, but he gave Aciri a quick wink before disappearing behind the wooden gate without another word. The Shin Scrafty stood there and blinked, then shook it off and headed towards the tree Gawain was perched in.

"I'll never understand that guy..." she laughed to herself while sitting up against the trunk of the tree. She could hear Gawain making soft cooing sounds above her as he slept. Aciri found herself feeling tired too, and she soon drifted off the sleep, letting the strap of her bag fall off her shoulder. Even while she slept, she couldn't help but to wonder about Indigo...Would they forgive him?

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** Such a horrible ending :P

Will Indigo's team forgive him? Will they join thee team?...Am I going to ship Aciri and Indigo before this story's over? Who knows...

Also, one of them is getting a new team member. Not saying who, or what kind of Pokemon it is, but you'll see next chapter.

These chapters are getting long and longer...I think I hit the 7000 word mark (which is a first for me) here. Oh well...


	8. Welcome Back

**A/N:** Well, would you look at that! An early update! Yay!

* * *

><p>11 o' clock exactly. Perfect. All the nurses and Audino have retired for the night. That is, until the other shift comes in for any nightly emergencies. That meant he had at least half an hour to make the phone call, and possibly get his Pokemon back. But there were no guarantees, and he knew that.<p>

"It's now or never..."

Indigo, who was standing outside where the battlefields were, made a quick scan of the lobby before he went through the automatic doors. The Pokemon Center felt odd since there weren't any Trainers or Pokemon coming in and out. It was almost eerie...

Indigo shook those thoughts away before he (quietly) sprinted over to the phones. He was both excited and terrified. Excited at the fact that he could see his Pokemon, but terrified that they might dislike him now.

_'But I'll have to_ try,' Indigo thought, remembering Aciri's words. _'If I don't, then I'll keep wondering during this journey. And when I finally decide to check on 'em, then they probably don't want to see me again...'_

He was in front of the phones by now. He chose one of the middle booths so no one would see him just in case a Trainer might come by or one of the nurses for the night shift come by early. This will have to be quick, and he'll have to think of some sort of lie or story for the Professor just in case she question him about his whereabouts (or why she still couldn't look at him). The last thing he wanted to do was get the Professor involved; this whole mess would be way out of her league.

The phone was in his hand. His finger hovering above the keypad. He took a deep breath, then with Scrafty-like reflexes, he dialed the number to Juniper's lap. The screen above him lit up with life, with a cartoon-like phone ringing on a creamy blue backdrop. Indigo was growing anxious, and began to count the rings in his head.

It rang twice.

It rang a third time.

It was going on a fourth...

"Hello?"

"P-Professor," Indigo stammered "I-I'm sorry I called you so late! It's me, Indigo..."

"Ah, Indigo!" the professor laughed "Oh, don't worry about it! I was up anyway. In fact, I'm glad you called."

"Oh...?"

"It's regarding your Pokemon Pignite and Herdier." Indigo suddenly felt his heart stop.

"Are...are they ok?"

"They're fine," Juniper replies "but I'm getting the feeling that they miss you."

"Really?" Indigo's heart began to flutter with excitement. "W-well can I see them? I...I miss them too..."

"Sure! Just give me a moment..." Professor Juniper placed the phone down on her desk before going out back to fetch Indigo's beloved partners. While that was going on, said Scrafty was sitting up against one of the glass walls of the booth, twirling the phone cord on his finger to try and calm his nerves. He had to wait for an agonizing two minutes before he heard someone pick up the phone. He expected to hear the Professor, but he heard another female voice, that was just as gentle.

"Hey...hello? Anyone there...?"

"You know he can't understand us, right?" came from a more gruff sounding male.

"Lassie! Raphael!" Indigo let out a sigh of relief.

"Indigo?" Lassie called "Is that you? Where are you? I can't see your face..."

"Long story..." Indigo mumbled. "And you probably won't believe it either..."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Indigo heard some shuffling on the other end, followed by "How the heck can you understand us so suddenly?"

"Come to think..." Lassie said "I hadn't noticed until you said it. I was so glad to hear his voice again..."

"Yo, Indigo, it's you, right?" Raphael, Indigo's Pignite and first partner, asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice. "I know your voice like the back of my hand...but it seems like you can understand what we're saying..."

Raphael could hear a sigh from the other end, before there was the sound of what sounded like a chair moving across the floor. He saw the phone lying on the keypad through the screen, as well as some of said chair being shown. After a few more second of silence, Lassie and Raphael saw a red crest moving around at the bottom of the screen, followed by an deep orange Scrafty head. Lassie and Raphael stood there, slack jawed while staring at the Pokemon before them. That couldn't be their Trainer! Or...could it...?

Indigo gave his partners a sad smile before picking the phone back up. "Hey you two," he said softly.

"Indigo...?" Lassie gasped.

"What in Arceus' name happened to you? !" Pignite exclaimed.

"I got cursed," was the reply "by a Cofagrigus at the Desert Ruins...It lured me with a pile of Nuggets..."

"Did this happen after you returned me back into my Pokeball?" Lassie asked.

"Yeah," Indigo scratched the back of his head "I...I've been stuck like this for days, but I've been adjusting to this new body pretty well. Better than I expected, actually..."

"But how come you sent us here?" the Herdier looked a little hurt "We could've stopped Cofagrigus from putting the curse on you!"

"Yah," Raphael nodded "I'm sure Lassie could've done some damage to that creep and stop the curse."

Indigo sighed. "It wouldn't have made a difference. Besides, what if I sent one of you out and tried challenging it, and one of you got hit by the curse and...died...? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if that happened to either of you...Your safety comes first, so I took the hit like a trooper!...And yet, I ran away, like a coward..."

"That's just instinct," Lassie argued "Heck, if I were in your position, I would run away too! It must be scary...being a human and transformed into a Pokemon..."

"It was, at first," Indigo nodded "but it's been kinda cool, too. I can talk to Pokemon and better understand 'em. Plus, the world looks...different in a few ways. In fact, I can use a few moves in battle. I think I know Hi Jump Kick!"

"Well besides that," Raphael trailed "how are you gonna change back? I mean, there's always a cure for a curse, like in those storybooks, right?"

Indigo nodded again. "There is, and I'm traveling to get to that cure now. Thing is, I gotta go to the Celestial Tower with a 'pure maiden' and find a Pokemon that can undo it. I'm back in Nacrene City with a few friends."

"Friends?" Lassie repeated.

"Yeah..." Indigo's cheeks suddenly turned red and he rubbed the back of his head again. "Actually, to tell the truth...my 'friends' are actually a girl I got to help and her two Pokemon...but...uh...see, the thing is...she has a Rufflet and he thought that...maybe if I kissed the girl, it'd undo the curse...Buuuuuut it turns out the curse is contagious and...I...kinda-sorta turned her into a Scrafty too..."

Indigo could see both of his partners holding back snickers and giggles, and he both frowned at them. "NOT funny, you jerks..."

"Sorry," Lassie giggled "but man I wish I was there to see that!"

"I know right?" Raphael chuckled "A girl kissing a Scrafty? I'd love a picture of that!"

Indigo coughed. "Anyway, she's with me now, along with her Pokemon, and we're leaving for Castelia City in the morning."

"Wait," Raphael called "did you call us so that we could help you?"

"No," Indigo smiled "I called you guys to check on ya. See...I...I was relying on you guys more than relying on my own confidence and strengths...and I wanted to apologize for that. I thought that you two were growing to dislike me because I was pushing you guys so that you could win my battles and guide me, and I needed your support. But now I've realized that we have to help each other and work as a team. As your Trainer, it's my responsibility to teach you things about the world, train you to grow stronger, make new friends, and maybe see something like a father figure in me. And in return, you guys will support me on my journey, lending me your powers and strengths to win battles and climb my way to the top...But I was being one-sided with you two, and I've been tormented with thoughts that you guys hated me...And...I just hope you guys can find it in your hearts to forgive me...I was a fool..."

The Pignite and Herdier stayed silent before Raphael took the phone and brought it up to his ear.

"Indigo, we never hated ya," he said softly "and we knew somethin' was wrong when ya send us back where without warning..."

"We were so worried about you," Lassie added "And we couldn't get to you because we didn't know where you were!"

"The point is," Raphael went on "We'll always be your friends, no matter who relies on who. No one's perfect, and we never expected ya to me. The only thing we ever wanted was for you to love us...And you've been giving us more than enough just by pouring your heart out to us and being concerned about our well-being more than yours, even when you became cursed. Indigo...you became my...my bestest friend the minute I saw how your face lit up when I became your Pokemon, right here in this lab. No one could ever replace you. No one."

"And I've sworn my loyalty to you when you saved me from the river!" Lassie exclaimed, nearly getting tears in her eyes. "You and I were complete strangers, but you risk your life to save mine, even though I was a wild Lilipup at that time. You didn't even try to capture me when we got back to shore; you allowed me to keep my freedom! But...but I couldn't stand to see you leave...I had to come with you, so I could return the favor. I promised to protect you from harm, and follow you to the ends of this planet until my last breath. I don't care what flaws you have, you'll always be my best friend...not just my Trainer. Remember that."

Indigo's lip quivered before he suddenly let the phone drop and covered his eyes with his arm, feeling tears began to roll down his face. Though he tried to hide it, Lassie and Raphael could clearly see that he was crying just be seeing the tears, as well as his soft sobs. But these were tears of joy, not sadness.

"Indigo, it's ok," Lassie soothed "We could never hate you. You've done so much for us already..."

"I...I know," Indigo hiccuped "b-b-but I...I just thought..."

"But nothin'," Raphael smiled "We're gonna stay by your side forever. We're a _team_, and we support each other through good times and bad, thick or thin, no matter the circumstances."

Indigo removed his arm form his face and looked at his beloved partners. Raphael, a Pignite he met as a Tepig in Juniper's lab, was his first Pokemon he ever received before starting his journey. And Lassie, a Herdier he saved from death after she fell into a river with a strong current as a Lilipup. He offered her her freedom, but she decided to stay by his side for the rest of his journey. Though they had only known each other for a short time, the memories of their time spent together will always remain in his heart. The roads they traveled, the battles they won, the nights they spent under the stars or in a room in a Pokemon Center together...he'll never forget those times.

"Guys...I...thank you..."

"Hey, no problem," Raphael laughed "Now...are you gonna bring us along on your trip or not?"

Indigo's eyes widen. "But I thought -"

"We're a team," Lassie smiled, causing her Trainer's eyes to shimmer again "but more importantly, you're our friend, Indigo. And friends help each other out. So, we're coming over, whether you like it or not."

"No...no, I actually wanted you guys back," the Scrafty-human confessed "I just didn't know if you guys _wanted_ to come back."

"Dude, we've been worrying our butts off, wonderin' if you were alright," Raphael snorted while Lassie trotted off somewhere..."Besides, I wanna get back at the Cofagrigus that did this to ya. There's no way I'm gonna let some freak transform _my_ Trainer into a Pokemon without my say so!" Indigo laughed. "Besides, now that you can understand us, I actually wanna have a real conversation with ya! Plus, I wanna meet these 'friends' of yours."

"I got the Professor!" Lassie called from the other side of the room "She has our Pokeballs too!" Raphael moved away from the monitor while Indigo got down from the chair so that she wouldn't see him in his current state. He waited a few seconds before he heard the phone being passed to someone, which was none other than Professor Juniper.

"My, my, you all had a long conversation, didn't you?" she teased.

"Yeah, well," Indigo blushed "They're like my family, y'know? I had to make sure they were ok..."

"Completely understandable," Juniper said, while she returned Lassie and Raphael back into their Balls. "Anyway, I could tell by your Herdier's excitement that you were calling to get them back, so I took the liberty of getting their Pokeballs while I was away."

"Can you send them over now?" Indigo asked, though he was trying to hold back his excitement.

"Of course! Just give me a second..." Juniper placed the phone back down on her desk before placing Raphael's Pokeball in a device right next to a phone. The device had no actual name (that I knew off), but it was used for transporting Pokemon from one place to another in an instant by using technology that was similar to link trading. They were also connected t the Pokemon Storage System, but most argued that just sending Pokemon to friends and family for safe keeping were a better and safer way to store Pokemon than the boxes. Especially since there had been rumors of Pokemon thieves hacking into the System and stealing people's Pokemon.

There was a few seconds of silence before Indigo heard what sound like soft cackling of electricity from above him. He saw Raphael's Pokeball materialize from a small flash a light, which he quickly took out of the device (while staying out of Juniper's sight) and nearly cuddled it. A few seconds later, Lassie's Pokeball followed suit, and Indigo soon had his partners back.

"There," Juniper said proudly "they've been sent to you."

"I got 'em." Indigo said "Thank you so much Professor."

"By the way," Juniper trailed "how come you're staying away from the screen, Indigo?"

"Uh...it's a long, and weird story that you probably won't believe, but I can't tell you - or show you for that matter - right now."

"But -"

"Listen," Indigo sighed "I know it doesn't seem right but..." he looked down at his three fingered hand and clenched his fist "this is something I have to do on my own. Maybe when I feel the time is right, I'll show you." There was a pause from the other end, before Professor Juniper let out what sounded like a sigh.

"Alright Indigo," she said "I trust you. But remember...if you ever need any help, please call me."

"Will do. Thanks again." The line cut off, and Indigo put the phone back in its place. He looked back at the clock, only to see that it was 29 minutes after 11. The nurses for the night shift were coming very soon, so he quietly ran back out to the battlefield and made his way towards the wild Pokemon habitat in the back. He waited until he was at the gate before he took the Pokeballs from his pelt and called out his two Pokemon. Lassie and Raphael materialized in an instant, and tackle-hugged Indigo the moment they laid their eyes on him. The Scrafty-human could only laugh and smile with joy while hugging his partners and listening to their happy cries. He felt the tears beginning to swell in his eyes again, but he didn't try to hold them back anymore. Even though it has only been a few days, it felt like he was being reunited with his long lost friends.

He waited until they calmed down enough to where he could stand back on his feet, only to hug both his Pignite and Herdier tighter then before.

"Welcome back..." he whispered, while one last tear slid down his cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** This chapter was specifically written for the reunion of Indigo and his two Pokemon.

I'm really wondering why people are adding this to their favorites and alerts...Is it really that good?


	9. Journey Through the Marsh

**A/N:** How come so many people are adding this to their favorites? Is it really that good?

* * *

><p>Mornings at the Pokemon Center were much more pleasant than the mornings at home, Aciri thought. Especially since she was a Pokemon now. The Shiny Scrafty was just outside the protective wooden gate of the habitat, watching and observing many Pokemon and Trainers get started with their day. The early birds were already up and about, training their Pokemon on the battlefields, battling other Trainers or practicing moves, while the more late sleepers were heading to the cafeteria. The nurses and Audino were already busy, tending to and looking after sick and injured Pokemon that were brought in as early at 3 am.<p>

Aciri sat on a large rock that was used for decoration on the outside near the door. She decided to allow Lancelot and Gawain have their fun in the habitat, and left Lara-Lee alone since she wasn't even her Pokemon. The former human was looking intently into the crowds, secretly hoping that Indigo would show up soon. It wasn't because she was worried about him, oh no. She just hoped that he didn't get caught by any late night Trainers or kicked out by one of the nurses for begin out late. She needed him in order to get her body back - since it was his fault that she was stuck in her current state - and she wasn't going to let him out of her sight.

And then she began to wonder if the phone call went well. Did his Pokemon forgive him? If they did, are they coming with him? But if they didn't...Indigo would obviously be crushed...and he would most likely be crushed in the process. And THAT could mean that Indigo wouldn't have the motivation to complete the journey, and THAT could mean that Aciri would have to remain the way she is...forever.

The very thought made her shudder. But surely Indigo would have at least some motivation to _try_ and get their bodies back, with or without his other two partners. After all, he still had Lara-Lee, even though she hasn't been with him as long as his Pignite or Herdier. That didn't mean she was necessarily a bad Pokemon; she had already shown how useful she could be after using Dig to create pitfall traps under the Team Plasma Grunts. If it hadn't been for her...well, there's no telling where they would be right now. Of course, Indigo knew better, so that was one thing Aciri didn't have to worry about...but that didn't explain what was taking the guy so long! And she's been waiting all morning!

"I'm sure he'll be back soon." Aciri turned to see Lancelot - her recently evolved Dewott - standing next to her. That was odd, because she didn't hear him come near...

"Sorry," Aciri sighed "but he's been gone all night! I expected him to be back once he was gone, but he never showed up..."

Lancelot made a humming noise. "I'll admit, I thought he was coming back last night as well..."

"What if he got caught?" Aciri suddenly asked, in a frantic manner. "Or what if a Trainer that came by last night decided to capture him and left this morning? Or worse...what if Team Plasma saw him again and abducted him?"

"Whoa, calm down," the Dewott chuckled "You must be worried about him."

Aciri's cheeks suddenly turned pink (which was clearly visible since her skin was yellow). "N-no I'm not!" she stammered "I'm just...I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't abandon us after he gotten us into this mess, after all! I'm not worried about the weirdo, no sir!"

"Riiiiiight." Aciri began to wish she could actually use a move to wipe that smug smirk off Lancelot's face. But, alas, she couldn't. So, she was about to return the Dewott back into his Pokeball, until he heard someone laugh in the distance. Of course, she could've dismissed it, but the voice sounded too familiar...Aciri focused her eyes near the building, only to see Indigo come around the corner, being accompanied with a Pignite and a Herider.

Could that be...?

Aciri motioned for Lancelot to follow, and the duo approached the group of 3 Pokemon, who seemed oblivious to them for the time being. As they grew closer, Aciri and Lancelot were able to catch a few tibits from the conversation. Apparently Indigo was the center of attention...

"...So I saw them trying to subdue Parsley - the Pansage I told you about - only to put him back into his Pokeball. At that time, I momentarily forgot I was a Pokemon, so I shouted at them to give the Pokeball back, so I got caught. 'Course, they tried to catch me, but then I kicked the guy with the Pokeball in the nuts, grabbed the Ball and high-tailed it outta there. You should've seen the look on their faces; it was hilarious!"

The Pignite snorted. "Talk about being losers! What kind of nut-jobs would steal Pokemon from Trainers, and claim to be 'saving' them?"

"Definitely sound like hypocrites," the Herdier hummed.

"I know right?" indigo growled. "The very thought of them still out there terrorizing both Pokemon and Trainers make me furious! But, on the plus side, I DID save a Pokemon and reunited him with his Trainer, so it's not all bad. There was no way I was gonna let them get away with that."

"Brave words for someone who cowered at the presence of a girl," Aciri smirked. Indigo, along with the Herdier and Pignite, looked up to see her and Lancelot approaching them. Aciri had a strange smile on her face while Lancelot appeared to be bemused. Naturally, the Herdier went over to them both and sniffed at them, taking note of their scents.

"Oh...ah..." Indigo winced "You...weren't waiting for me, were you?"

"Since I woke up," Aciri replied, then made a gesture that looked like a shrug. "But you're here now, so that's all that matters."

"Hmmm...shiny Scrafty smells weird," Herdier mused, getting Pignite's attention. "Yup! I thought so! Her scent is similar to Indigo's!"

Pignite raised an eyebrow. "Which means...?"

"She smells like a human," Herdier explained after rolling her eyes "but there's a hint of leather in it as well."

Aciri made a face while Indigo coughed and went over to the Shiny Pokemon.

"Guys, this is the girl I was talking about," he explained. "This lovely yellow gal is Aciri, the girl who's helping me. She was a human Trainer like I was...But...then...y'know..." He coughed again."Anyway, this Dewott is her partner. His name's Lancelot, but I call him Lance for short. She has a Rufflet named Gawain, but I don't know where..."

"Pleased to meet you both," Aciri said, bowing slightly. "I take it you're Indigo's partners?"

"Yup," Pignite nodded, then shook Lancelot's hand (or paw). "The name's Raphael. I was Indigo's first partner."

"And I'm Lassie!" the Herdier yipped "Indigo saved my life! I've been with him ever since!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Aciri smiled "We're glad to have you travel with us."

"I'll go get Gawain and Lara-Lee," Lancelot offered "We still have a long way before we reach the Celestial Tower..."

It didn't take Lancelot long to find the two other Pokemon; both Gawain and Lara-Lee were at the lake taking a drink of water. Lancelot summoned them over, telling that they were packing up and leaving. Gawain was eager to get on the road again and immediately flew to Lancelot's side, while Lara-Lee was more relaxed and casually followed the other two. It only took mere moments before they reunited with the group, only for Gawain and Lara-Lee to gain looks of confusion when they saw the two newer members. Indigo was more than happy to introduce their newest member to the team, and Lassie and Raphael welcomed her with open arms.

Once the introductions were done, everyone left the Pokemon Center by sneaking out through a back entrance, which led them into a surprisingly clean alley behind the Center. Aciri once again used her Xtransceiver to guide them to Pinwheel Forest. Though Aciri has been to Nacrene City on more than one occasion, the city looked much, much bigger now that she was a Pokemon - well, not only her, but Indigo too. There were more dangers to them that ranged from Team Plasma to other Trainers, and even other Pokemon. On top of that, it was very easy for them to become lost, no matter where they were. They knew too well that they would have to be careful in every aspect.

Aciri and Indigo decided it would be best to put their Pokemon back in their Pokeballs if they were in cities or towns so they wouldn't attract too much attention by traveling in one huge group of Pokemon. However, the two Trainers decided to leave their beloved starters out just in case they came across any trouble. Besides, they were the strongest out of both teams of Pokemon (though Lara-Lee and Lassie wouldn't be a bad choice either, but they couldn't risk the attention).

The group of now 4 Pokemon made their way through the streets of Nacrene. Aciri had an idea as to go to the old railroad track and climb the fence there; it would be a shortcut out of the city and a faster way into Pinwheel Forest, thus making them closer to Castelia City, which was going to be their biggest obstacle yet. They didn't have too much trouble since wild Pokemon are always welcomed in any city and town, but they still got the occasional glance or stare since Aciri was a Shiny. Besides that, the trek was almost too peaceful.

"Ahhh, Nacrene City," Raphael sighed to himself, trying to break the silence "I haven't been here since you won your second Badge, Indigo."

"Yeah," he former Trainer sighed sadly "Can't believe I lost my Badges, though. I'm going to have to re-challenge the Gyms if I ever want to enter the League again."

"At least you had some," Aciri snorted "Thanks to you, I have none!"

"Hey, if you're gonna point the blame on anyone, blame the bird you have in your bag right now," Indigo shot back.

Aciri shot him a look, but said nothing. After all, they both knew that they were to blame as well. Sure Gawain had suggested the idea, but that didn't mean that it was guaranteed to work. Besides, they were dumb enough to try it anyway. Too bad they didn't want to admit it.

"No matter where we go in this city," Lancelot hummed "I always catch the strong scent of coffee."

"Nacrene is famous for their cafe, after all," Indigo nodded "I heard they import all kinds of coffee beans from other regions like Kanto and Hoenn."

"How do you know what coffee is?" Aciri asked her partner.

"The one you call the Professor made it every morning before you came along," Lancelot replied "The smell was intoxicating, but it looked so repulsive at the same time. I mean honestly, why would you humans wake up every morning, grind up these little black beans, put it into a machine and brew this ugly black liquid every morning?"

"A lot of people need coffee to wake up in the morning," Indigo shrugged "Personally, I prefer iced coffee, but the caffeine itself doesn't really have an effect on me. I'm _still_ sleepy when I drink it."

"I don't really like coffee that much," Aciri added "but I do like a good mocha or cappuccino every now and then."

Lancelot shook his head. "I still found it odd. I tried it once just to see what it tasted like. Regretted it to this day..."

"Oh, that was you?" Raphael laughed. "I remember that day! The Professor allowed us to roam around the lab for a bit that morning. I saw you climb on her desk and take a sip of that stuff. He was as giddy as an Emolga the whole day. It was pretty hilarious, I'll admit."

"That wasn't funny..." Lancelot blushed. "...Still, I didn't think you were that Tepig back then."

"I didn't think you would be that Oshawott either...I wonder what happened to that female Snivy, though..."

"You mean Ivy?"

"Ivy..?"

"Yeah. Well, that's the name she goes by now. Her Trainer is actually my Trainer's sister."

"Oh cool! Where is she though?"

"Not sure. We're traveling separate, you see. But, she doesn't know my Trainer's a Pokemon now..."

"Ah. S'plains a lot."

Hearing the two Pokemon talk was like listening to two old friends catching up on old times. Aciri and Indigo learned a lot about their Pokemon that they would have never found out otherwise. Aciri learned that Lancelot's mother was nearly killed by poachers who were after her body armor and scal-swords. Luckily, Pokemon Rangers interfered and had the poachers arrested, but Lancelot's mother was gravely injured during the fray since she was trying to protect her children - Lancelot and his brother - from the evil humans. Luckily, their mother survived, but not without a price. She lost one of her front paws, and had to get it replaced with a prosthetic foot. Lancelot was taken by Professor Juniper at the time, due to the fact he often wandered away from the Pokemon Center looking for his mom and fought any strangers due to trauma. However, his brother remained with their mom, and he hasn't seen his family since then. Juniper was able to get Lancelot to trust humans again - those he knew well, anyway - but he was still wary.

Raphael on the other hand, had came from a certified Pokemon Breeder who bred starters. He lived in a Day Care somewhere in the far East, where he was born and raised by humans and other Pokemon. The only mother figure he had was a Leavanny whom belonged to the actual Breeder. Leavanny assisted her Trainer with the little Pokemon, ranging from feeding them, bathing them, and playing with them. But Leavanny had a soft spot for Raphael. Having suffered from losing her own children to predators, Leavanny wanted to have more children, but couldn't. Of course, she could have adopted any of the Pokemon at the Day Care, but Raphael was special to her. She wasn't sure if it was his confidence or the fact she had to keep a close eye on him since he always got into some kind of trouble. But it could've been that Leavanny was the first thing Raphael saw when he was born, and immediately thought Leavanny was his mother. Of course, Leavanny didn't mind this at all, being the Parenting Pokemon, but their bond was like no other. Raphael struggled during the third Gym since he had to face another Leavanny, which reminded him of the Bug-type that raised him back at the Day Care. He often wondered how she was doing...

Since the Pokemon Center was relatively close to the old railroad tracks, it only took them almost half an hour to reach the fence. Once by one, each of them climbed over the fence (though Aciri had a little accident and got her pelt caught on one of the broken boards) until they were in the marshy extension of Pinwheel Forest.

Though many didn't consider this to be a part of the actual forest, the Pinwheel Marsh (as it's been often called) was a great place for novice Trainers to train their Pokemon, usually before going to the Gym or heading into the actual forest itself. The main attraction here was the Challenge Rock, which was a huge bright red rock sitting on a ledge near the southeast. Many Fighting types - mostly Throh and Sawk - come there each day to chip away at the massive rock, often getting rare gems called Star Pieces chipped off. No one understood why the Challenge Rock never gotten smaller every time a Star Piece was chipped off, but no one complained. Star Pieces were easy money for rookie Trainers since they could be sold at high prices at the Pokemon Center's shops. Usually, there were a lot of Star Pieces scattered on the ground around the Challenge Rock, but it was very hard to tell since Trainers would pick up the stray ones left by wild Pokemon and sell them. Besides that, the only thing left of interest here was the dark grass which had most of the Throh and Sawk, along with Timburr, and a few wild Audino, but mostly Tympole resided in this area. There were a few Trainers here and there, but they were mostly small children or school students.

"Ok, if we head northwest from here, we'll actually be in Pinwheel Forest," Indigo announced "We're still making good time, though. It's not even noon yet."

"Then let's head in," Aciri suggested "From what I heard, Pinwheel Forst is a maze. Plus, a lot of Bug and Grass Type Pokemon live in there, and most of them know Sleep Powder, Stun Spore or Poison Powder. I don't have many status healing medicines or berries, so we'll have to be careful."

Lancelot took a look around their current area, letting the moist summer air blow on his whiskers. The smell of mud, water and grass was very strong here, but he didn't mind. He could hear the faint sounds of rocks and boulders being crushed in the distance. This looked like the ideal place the train...

"Hey, Raphael," Lance asked "when did you evolve?"

"Ah...just before we went into Nacrene City," the Pignite replied while scratching an itchy spot on his snout. "When did you evolve?"

"Inside Wellspring cave."

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "That early, huh?"

"Mmhmm. Anyway, the reason I asked is because...I wanted to have a battle against you."

Silence.

Aciri gazed wide eyed at her Dewott while Indigo was looking at his Pignite, wondering if he would accept the challenge or not. Raphael rubbed his chin (or where it would be), before smiling and nodding.

"Sounds fun. Let's do it!"

Aciri and Indigo were dumbfounded. "WHAT?"

"Raph, are you mad?" Indigo exclaimed "Lancelot will cream you! You haven't seen him in battle - I have!"

"Not to mention he has a severe type disadvantage!" Aciri added "He wouldn't stand a chance!"

"But that's the fun part," Raphael insisted, not taking his gaze off Lancelot. "Besides, I've known Dew - I mean, Lancelot, ever since we were brought to the Professor's lab. He always had this bold nature to him that I couldn't ignore. Besides...it would be my first battle in a long time."

"Same here," Lancelot added "We need to train, Aciri. And not just us, you as well. We can't keep defending you when it gets rough. You're a Pokemon now, so you'll have to learn how to use your new body and fight back when you need to. Besides..." The Dewott smirked, revealing a fang. "I really want to see if Raphael will be strong enough to hold his own against me."

Raphael grinned. "You're on!"

Aciri and Indigo exchanged unsure glances, not sure if they should be concerned for their Pokemon, or excited to see them battle. Regardless, the two Pokemon had made up their minds, and they were going to battle. Lancelot picked the battlefield just a few yards away from the fence, making sure that neither of them would be flown out of the area and draw attention to themselves. It was bad, but there was nothing they could do. Aciri and Indigo sat on a fallen log to watch the battle that was about to unfold. But it wouldn't be fair to not allow their other Pokemon to watch...

**. . .**

Lancelot felt his whiskers nearly get singed off as he narrowly dodged Raphael's Flame Charge. The battle had only begun a few minutes ago, and it was already intense. Aciri, Gawain, Indigo, Lara-Lee and Lassie were sitting on the log (though Gawain was perched on Indigo's crest yet again) watching the battle before them. Some wild Pokemon form the marsh decided to watch too, seemingly interest in the foreign Pokemon having a match. Gawain was cheering for Lancelot while Lassie rooted for Raphael. However, Aciri, Indigo and Lara-Lee remained silent, not really sure who to root for since it seemed like an uneven match to begin with. Sure Raphael had his Fighting sub-type, but that didn't mean that he lost his weakness to Water-types. It looked like Lancelot had the victory form the beginning, but Raphael was putting up a helluva fight, since he would have went down by now.

Raphael extinguished the flames around his body, planting his single-toed claw in the ground to stop the charge. He turned to face his opponent, only to use his hands (paws?) to stop the Razor Shell above his head. Lancelot gritted his teeth as he tried to push his scal-sword down on its mark on Raphael's skull. The Pignite turned out to be more of a nuisance than what he first visioned, but that just added to the challenge, which was fine to him.

Raphael could feel the very essence of water pierce through his fur and skin, causing steam to rise from his hands where the flames once were. He knew his strength would give way and the Razor Shell would take a good chunk of his health away, so he wasn't going to allow that. Adjusting his grip on the sword so he wouldn't cut himself, Raphael twirled, and flung Lancelot to the other side of the battlefield. This took the Dewott completely off guard, and with no way to recover while in the air, he was open for an attack, which Raphael knew.

Raphael curled into a ball and used his tail to propel himself forward as Lancelot came tumbling out of the sky. He timed it just right, and he hit his mark, sending Lancelot into the air once more. A high-pitched wail escaped the Water-type as he was sent flying yet again, but this time, he was prepared for it.

Lancelot twisted his body until he was falling with more control, took aim at Raphael, and fired a torrent of water from his mouth. Raphael saw the oncoming attack, but he was stuck in his Rollout combo and couldn't really dodge. Raphael let out what sounded like a cross between a pig squeal and a pained howl when the torrent hit. The water felt like acid being shot on him, soaking him to the bone and forcing him out of his Rollout. Lancelot kept up the Water Gun until he was back on the ground, then charged at the Pignite again with his scal-swords.

Raphael tried shaking off the water, but it only made it worse. More steam rose from his body as the remains of the Flame Charge finally diminished, making him lose all of his extra heat. Raphael could see the oncoming threat, and he as in no shape to attack, so he decided to go more defensive. Tucking his tail and limbs under him, Raphael formed another ball at the last moment. This time, however, his fur and hide hardened to the point where his body was almost a smooth rock. Lancelot's scal-sword made contact with Raphael's hide, but it only bounced of with a _tink!_ Smirking to himself, Raphael came out of his defensive curl and thrusted his arm into Lancelot's stomach. The wind was knocked out of the Dewott, and he could only let out a cough before the onslaught of Arm Thrusts continued, forcing Lancelot back.

Meanwhile, Aciri was now on her feet, bitting her bottom lip and gripping the strap to her bag as if her life depended on it. Lassie was going nuts, seeing that, despite his type difference, Raphael was putting Lancelot on the ropes, while Gawain was trying to encourage Lancelot to fight back. Indigo just sat there in shocked silence, surprised that Raphael was doing so well against Lancelot, even though he was very skilled. Lara-Lee, on the other hand, had her claws over her eyes, but she was able to peek through them to see the battle, then shutting them again when it got too rough. Aciri also couldn't ignore the other wild Pokemon in the background. It was like they were watching a sporting event, everyone cheering for their team. She looked over to see Timburr, Tympole, Pidove, Sawk and Throh gathering near the battlefield, each shouting cheers or shouting words of encouragement.

"Yeah! Get 'em Pignite!"

"Don't lose against a Fire-type, Dewott!"

"C'mon! Ya got him on the ropes!"

"Finish him!"

Defend! DEFEND!"

"You can do it! Turn that pig into bacon!"

It was amazing that all of the commotion hasn't drawn any unwanted attention. She thanked Arceus many times that no one came around to disrupt the battle, but at the same time, she kinda wished someone would. Being a Trainer and having no control over her Pokemon during a battle was beginning to get to her, and it hurt her more to see her beloved Dewott being knocked around like a sandbag so easily. She mentally cursed herself, believing that she should have trained him more in the Pokemon Center just in case. But there was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to hope and pray to whatever Poke-God or deity that watched over them that Lancelot came out of this alright.

Back on the battlefield, Lancelot was staggering, bruised, and out of breath. He knew that a few more - heck, not even a few more, but 1 more hit would send him down. He had to think of something, and he would have to think fast. While he was trying to collect himself, he was able to look over at Aciri. Her eyes were locked on him, and they were filled with worry...and fear. Why was she afraid? Is she afraid of him losing? If so, then why? Was she afraid that it would hurt his confidence if he lost? Or was it just the fact that she was a Trainer who cared for her Pokemon, and was just worried about his well-being? It was hard to tell, but Lancelot didn't want to let Aciri down. He knew that Raphael didn't want to let Indigo down either, but the guy already won him three badges, and he has won none for his Trainer! What's one little loss going to hurt them?

Now feeling a newfound strength, Lancelot was able to stand up straight, but he was in pain, and tired. He panted, but held on to both of his scalchops with vigor, forming a small strategy in his head. From what he could see, Raphael could only endure physical attacks to an extent, but he struggled with special attacks. He noticed Water Gun did a number on him when it hit him while in his Rollout combo, so what if...

On the other side, Raphael was growing cocky, and he could clearly see that Lancelot wouldn't last much longer. Just another hit and victory would be his...better wrap this up. Tucking in his limbs and curling into a ball, he used his tail and propelled himself towards Lancelot yet again, looking like a fiery bowling ball of doom. However, Lancelot didn't seemed to be worried.

In fact, he smirked.

He waited until Raphael was just seconds away from impact before he released another blast of water. Raphael let out another howl, feeling the acid-like torrent soak him to the bone once again. But since he was in close range, it was like rolling head first into a water-filled bazooka. It completely threw it off his rhythm, causing him to come out of his Rollout while being blown backwards. Raphael was able to land on his feet, but the onslaught was far from over.

Without wasting a beat, Lancelot charged, pouring the power of water into his scalschops, turning them into his trademark scalswords. Raphael had no time to prepare himself for what was to come, but he got a good wake-up call when he suddenly felt like he was being repeatedly sliced by solid acid. The Pignite howled, unable to defend himself against the deadly slashes his body had to endure.

Lancelot was finally feeling merciful, and stopped the onslaught, watching as Raphael stumbled and staggered. However, he was far from being safe. Lancelot felt more water swell in his throat before he fired another Water Gun. This time, it hit Raphael directly, sending him to the ground with a _thud!_ When the torrent stopped, Raphael's body was lying on his back, unmoving. Black swirls were his eyes now, and he released what sounded like a discombobulated groan.

Raphael was knocked out.

Lancelot had won.

An eruption of cheers and a few groans came from both the wild Pokemon and the traveling group, but they were mostly cheers. Aciri and Gawain, who were completely ecstatic about Lancelot's victory, immediately ran over to the worn-out Dewott. Aciri embraced him in a hug that nearly choked the poor Pokemon, while Gawain flew around them, cheering with both excitement and happiness.

"You did it! You did it!" she nearly screamed, not letting go of him. "You were amazing! How did you know to use Water Gun at close range?"

Lancelot shrugged, trying to hide a blush while trying to remain modest. "It just came to me all of a sudden..."

"You were so cool!" Gawain exclaimed "I'm gonna train hard and become as strong as you, Lancelot!"

The bipedal otter blushed again, not sure if it was from the praise or from the fact Aciri was hugging him so much.

On the other side of the battlefield, Lassie and Lara-Lee stood to the sides while Indigo helped Raphael to his feet. Lassie was disappointed that Raphael lost, but Lara-Lee was in a buzz about the battle that she had just witnessed. Indigo was able to looked over at Aciri. He smiled to himself when he saw her and Gawain gushing over Lancelot. He almost wanted to join them, but his Pokemon's health came first, so the celebration would have to wait.

"How ya doin', Champ?" he asked.

"Urgh, I've been better..." Raphael groaned.

"You put up a good fight, Raphael," Lassie smiled while her tail wagged.

"I'll say!" Lara-Lee snorted "Did'ja see how close he was to winnin'? I thought he had won for sure!" Aciri decided it would be best if they rested before heading into Pinwheel Forest, so she used any Potions she had in her bag to heal both fighters. She also gave them both Oran Berries to provide extra energy just in case the Potions didn't completely heal the battle wounds. While they rested, the wild Pokemon who also watched the battle asked if they could battle Lancelot or Raphael, but they politely refused since they were both exhausted and they had the leave very soon.

"Your training will have to wait, Aciri," Lancelot said apologetically while they rested around the log "maybe if we find a private place in the forest, we can practice there."

"Well, we still have time," Indigo said "but I don't know what we're gonna do if we get to Castelia in the evening. The place becomes dangerous at night..."

"But we can always go into the Pokemon Center, right?" Lassie asked. Indigo made a slight face.

"Actually...nevermind. You'll see what I mean when we get there." Aciri made a face this time, and almost wanted to ask what he meant by that. Then decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble, so she held her tongue.

"Speaking of," the shiny Scrafty hummed "do you know what moves you can use, Indigo?"

Said Scrafty blinked before scratching one of his cheeks with his claw. "I...I'm not entirely sure. But I could've sworn I used Brick Break once...and maybe Bite." Aciri suddenly smirked and pulled out her Pokedex, pointing it directly at him. Indigo saw where this was going and frowned. "You cannot be serious..."

"It's worth a shot," Aciri shrugged, turning on the device "Besides, we're Pokemon anyways. It's not like the Pokedex was made to see past curses." Indigo made another face while Aciri scanned her male counterpart. After a few seconds, Indigo's data was shown on the little Pokedex screen. She ignored the usual information such as level, any past history with other trainers and went straight to the move set.

"Ok, here it is," she announced, getting everyone's attention "your moves are currently Brick Break, Dig, Sludge Bomb - somehow - and Thief."

"Huh. Sweet." Indigo suddenly took the Pokedex from Aciri, who naturally protested. "Now, let's see what _your_ moveset is."

Aciri pouted while Indigo used her device to scan her in the same way she did to him. After a few seconds, Aciri's data appeared on the screen, and Indigo made a small nod of approval.

"'Kay, not bad. Yours is Low Sweep, Stone Edge, Payback and Hidden Power."

Aciri made a face, but said nothing. It was close to noon - if not noon already - and the day seemed like it was going by slowly. It was surprisingly quiet in the area, aside from the occasional cries and the sounds of battle from the Pokemon in the Marsh. The sky was blue all over; there wasn't a cloud in sight, and the sun provided the pleasantly warm summer air that both Aciri and Indigo found refreshing. However, as peaceful as it was, they had to get moving. Aciri looked around at the other Pokemon; Lassie was having fun splashing in the puddles while Lara-Lee tried her best to avoid the puddles at all costs. Indigo and Raphael were at the log, arm wrestling while Lancelot and Gawain were going through the tall grass for whatever reason. It was almost like watching wild Pokemon in their habitats, though neither of them belonged in this marshy area to begin with, with the exception of Lancelot. Aciri smiled a bit, and opened her mouth to tell everyone it was time to go, then stopped when she heard a voice in the distance.

_"Awesome! Great job, Panther!"_

Aciri turned towards the southwest, where the voice was coming from. It sounded way too familiar, and if it was who she thought it was...

"Is that...?"

"What's wrong, Aciri?" Indigo asked. He didn't get a response. Instead, the Shiny Pokemon turned towards him and motioned for him to follow before ducking into the tall grass. Indigo wanted to ask what was wrong, but decided that it would be best if he would follow. He called the other Pokemon before he led them in the direction Aciri went. It didn't take them long to find her; she was only a few feet away, peering over the grass and looking oddly alert. Indigo wanted to ask what was going on, then kept his mouth shut when he saw a human figure come into view just a few feet away from where they were standing. The human was female, around Aciri's age, with long red hair and green eyes, wearing a green takn top, blue jean shorts and green sandals, and had a green and white bandana with a Grass type design around it. She had a Snivy and a Purrloin at her side, looking as though she was training them. The Snivy had one of its vines drawn glaring at a fallen Tympole. The little tadpole scurried back into the grass, not wanting to take another blow from the Grass Snake. The Purrloin was standing on his hind legs, with his paw on his hip and his tail swishing with excitement.

"Ok...well, that's not the kind of Pokemon I'm looking for, but at least you two are getting stronger!" the girl gushed.

The Purrloin didn't seem surprised. "Naturally," he purred "did you really expect any less from us?"

"Ugh..." Snivy groaned, whipping off a spot of mud from her leaf-tail. "I can't wait to get out of this filthy place. I'm taking a bath the moment I get back to the Pokemon Center."

Back in the grass, Indigo was trying to figure out why this Trainer and her Pokemon seemed to caught both Aciri and Lancelot's attention so. He turned towards them, wondering if perhaps they knew the girl before Aciri transformed.

"Hey," indigo whispered "you know that girl?"

Aciri was silent for a few minutes, then slowly nodded. "Yeah...th-that's my sister, Penelope..."


	10. That Old Vow

**A/N:** Penelope gets most of this chapter so we can all know how she's doing in her journey. Also, she will have a key role in Aciri and Indigo's quest. But that won't be revealed until _much_ later ;)

[EDIT] I finished this at, like, 2 am last night, so I went back and corrected some mistakes that I missed. If I still missed a few, I apologize.

* * *

><p>I didn't know how much fun I would have when I started my journey with my Pokemon. I have already won my first Badge, too! I have Ivy to thank for that; She went up against a Pansear and pulled off one heck of a victory for me. I couldn't have been more proud of her!<p>

Anyway, I was out training in the Pinwheel Marsh with my Pokemon Ivy and Panther. I think they're both getting close to evolving, and I want to make sure that they'll be strong enough to face our upcoming Gym battle. It was going to be tomorrow morning, but I still wanted to train just to be safe. Also, I did some checking around in Nacrene; It turns out that the Gym Leader, Lenora, uses Normal type Pokemon, but she's very strong and likes to use a lot of tricks to throw her challengers off. I was able to get some advice from a boy yesterday though. I believe his name was Cheren, and told me that a Fighting type Pokemon would be the most ideal type to use against her.

So here I am, getting my new sandals dirty for the sake of competing in the League. Not like I had a problem with it or anything; I knew getting dirty was all part of being a Trainer. Now if I were any other rookie Trainer, I would probably be whining and complaining about how there's not a shower or a laundry mat nearby. Not me; going on a journey with Pokemon has been so exciting! I will never regret my decision for doing this, and that includes getting my clothes dirty. And, who knows? Maybe one day Aciri and I will travel to another region and compete in their Leagues! The very thought of it makes my heart flutter with excitement!

Back on what I was saying before, I already had a Fighting type in mind that I wanted to catch; a Sawk. I think they're the coolest Pokemon ever. I remember when I was about 3 or 4 years of age, I was watching a live match with Dad on TV. One of the Elite Four members named Marshal was going up against the Champion, Alder. Marshal specializes in Fighting types, so he naturally had a Sawk on his team. Marshal lost, but Jackie - the name of his Sawk - put up a good fight before it eventually went down. It looked so cool with its swift movements and awesome battle skills. From that day forward, I vowed to catch a Sawk of my own and train it to be like Marshal's.

That is, if I can find one.

I've been out here for more than an hour and I still haven't found one. Ivy and Panther were getting tired since they have battling against the other Pokemon to train while we searched, but they wanted to keep going for my sake.

"Hey you two," I called to them "let's head back into Nacrene and take a quick break. I hear they have treats for Pokemon at the cafe!"

"Sniii?" Ivy tilted her head at me while Panther just stretched, looking eager to head back into the city to refresh himself.

"It's ok Ivy," I said while picking her up "It's still early. We can always come back and train some more after we refresh ourselves, 'kay?" Ivy looked hesitant, but nodded.

"Sniiiss.."

"Mrrrow." I made my way back to the main road while carefully stepping through the tall grass and over puddles in the Marsh. I did not want to run into anymore wild Pokemon at the moment. We were back on the main road in a matter of minutes, so I decided to let Ivy walk on her own as we went back into Nacrene City. Summer was right around the corner, but I preferred the nice spring weather more than anything. I could tell Ivy and Panther was enjoying the weather as well; Ivy's tail was position towards the sun and Panther was taking advantage of the moist air coming from the Marsh. It took us about 10 or 15 minutes before we reached Nacrene again, but I was heading straight towards the cafe. I was about to step onto the patio when I heard a lot of giggling and laughing from across the street. I turned to see a bunch of teenagers like myself (mostly girls) gathered around the picnic area. I was curious, so I went towards that direction instead.

"I wonder what's going on over here..." I wondered out loud.

"Purrl.."

"Viii.." As I got closer, I noticed that there were a lot of girls gathered in that one spot, while a few boys were standing a few feet away, looking annoyed for whatever reason. Suddenly, I heard something that sounded like concrete banging against the ground, and then the girls started cheering and clapping while the boys rolled their eyes. Now I was really curious.

I approached one of the girls and tapped her shoulder, causing her to turn towards me.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked "What's going on over here?"

"Oh hi! I remember you!" the girl beamed. It took me a second to notice, but the girl did look very familiar. She was around my age, with short black hair wearing a pink bandana on her head, a red T-shirt, blue jeans and sandals. She was one of the people who gave me some advice on how to take on the Gym here. I met her yesterday, I believe.

"Oh hey!" I smiled "I didn't think I'd run into you again."

"Heh, I know. How's the training coming along?"

"Ok I guess..." I shrugged, then I noticed Ivy climb up on my shoulder again. "But I think both of my Pokemon are close to evolving pretty soon."

"That's great! By the way, my name's Tamara, but people call me Tammy."

I shook Tammy's hand. "Nice to meet you, Tammy. I'm Penelope, and these are my partners Ivy and Panther."

"Snisniiii!"

"Purrrow."

"They're cute," Tammy giggled. "Oh, by the way, have you caught anymore Pokemon like I recommended?"

"No," I sighed "I'm looking for a Fighting type to help me out in the Gym. I want a Sawk though...they're my favorite!"

"A Sawk? Oh, well you're in luck! Juan decided to come to town this morning!"

"Juan?" Tammy pointed towards the very center of the crowd, where the girls were giving room to a blue humanoid creature. It was obviously a Pokemon, with a lean body structure and dressed like those fighters from karate movies, black belt and all. There was a black '"z" shaped feature on its face that formed its nose and part of its brow, but you could see an x shaped scar on his lower cheek and the side of its chin. It was the Pokemon Sawk, the very thing I've been looking for.

"Oh, cool!" I squealed "Is that a wild one?"

"Yup," Tammy replied. I watched Juan - as he was called - take a concrete block, toss it into the air, jump after it and kick it into pieces. The girls applauded at his feat as he landed, and Juan put on a smug look while bowing.

"I've never seen this kind of behavior in a Pokemon like this before," I mused.

"I know," Tammy added "Juan is a wild Pokemon, but he's special to us here in Nacrene City. He originally lived in Pinwheel Forest, but made his home in the city a few years back."

"Then if he's a wild Pokemon, why does he have a nickname?"

"The locals gave him that name." Tammy replied while looking back into the crowd. There were a few of the other girls surrounded Juan and gushing over him.

"They named him after the Water type Gym Leader in Hoenn," Tammy went on "Apparently, this Sawk likes to show off for girls."

I stifled laughter. "That's a...'unique' quality for a Pokemon like him."

"We found it hard to believe too," Tammy laughed "But Juan has become a member of the community."

"Have other Trainers tried capturing him?" I asked curiously.

Tammy nodded. "There were a few, but Juan doesn't want to be captured. So Lenora and the local authorities made it clear that Juan was he remain a wild Pokemon until further notice."

I pouted slightly. "Aww...that's too bad. I finally found the Pokemon I was looking for, and it turns out that it want's to remain a wild Pokemon..." Ivy patted my shoulder while hissing softly while Tammy gave me a sympathetic look.

"Don't feel bad," she said "I'm sure you'll find another one if you keep searching out in the Marsh."

"Yeah, maybe..."

"Ucha..?" Tammy and I looked over to see Juan was in front of us, but his attention was mostly on me.

"I should've seen this coming," Tammy laughed again "Juan knows everyone in town, you see. He knows you're new and is trying to figure out who you are. He does this to everyone who comes by."

I noticed that Panther was sniffing at Juan while circling around him, but Juan ignored him, for the most part. Ivy stayed on my shoulder, though, but she kept a close eye on the other Pokemon.

"Hi there, Juan," I greeted him while waving a bit "My name's Penelope, and I'm on a journey with my Pokemon. I started a few days ago though, but I'm traveling to different towns and cities to collect Gym Badges and enter the Pokemon League! I only have one badge right now, but I'm battling for my second one tomorrow! But right now, I'm training Ivy and Panther here so they'll be able to stand up to the Gym tomorrow, and I'm also trying to find another Pokemon to add to my team; Preferably a Fighting type like yourself, Juan."

Juan pointed at himself. "Da-ge?"

"Yes, you. Well, not exactly you per-say. But your kind is the coolest Pokemon in my eyes. But I was told you don't want to be captured by a Trainer, so that's ok. I can always look for another one." Juan kept looking at me curiously, almost ignoring the girls in the background. I wondered why he was paying attention to me so much, but then shook it off as his natural curiosity for strangers.

"Mrrroow-roo.." I felt Panther pawing at my leg again, but this time he was pointing towards the cafe while looking impatient.

"Oh that's right! I promised you guys some treats, didn't I?" I turned back towards Tammy and bowed respectively. "I'm so sorry, but I promised these little ones some snacks at the cafe."

"That's fine," Tammy smiled again "in fact, I think I'll join you. I could go for some coffee myself." Ivy and Panther let out excited noises as they walked alongside us towards the cafe, leaving Juan to his crowd of admirers. However, I stopped for a moment, turned towards Juan and waved at him again.

"Bye Juan! I hope to see you again when I pass by Nacrene again!" I noticed that Juan wanted to follow, but I ran back to Tammy and my Pokemon before I could fully see if Juan followed or not.

As we continued towards the cafe, Tammy decided to let her Pokemon out as well; she had a Swadloon, Watchog, Blitzle and Munna. We went inside and bought our drinks (I bought a peach and mango smoothie while Tammy bought a latte) and some treats for our Pokemon before we headed towards the back patio where you could see some of Pinwheel Forest. Tammy and I sat out on the steps while we let out Pokemon play in the grassy area in front of us. Blitzle, Munna, Panther and Watchog played with each other, Swadloon stayed next to Tammy and Ivy was sunbathing on the railing next to me.

"So, where did you come form, Penelope?" Tammy asked me after taking another sip from her coffee.

"Well, my dad and I lived in Accumula," I replied "but after he married my step-sister's mom, we moved to Nuvema."

"Oh, that's cool," Tammy smiled "Is your step-sister on a journey too?"

"Uh-huh. But knowing her, she's probably at Castelia City getting her next Gym Badge."

"Wow...she must be strong, huh?"

"Yeah...it's weird too. She's nothing but a bookworm and never had a battle in her life, but when we have our first battle, she beats me. I even had a type advantage over her! The starter she chose was an Oshawott!" I sighed, then looked down at the charm bracelet on my right wrist. There was a Pokeball, Purrloin and half of a heart on it. I smiled softly as memories became to come back. "But...even though she's not my blood sister, we're really close, y'know? She lived back in Johto, but then her dad died and they lost their house, so they moved here. Her mom and my dad met in the library here in Nacrene, and I noticed her looking at this huge Pokemon encyclopaedia. I thought it was weird, so I went over to her, and the next thing I know, we're talking like long-lost best friends. Eventually our parents started seeing each other, and then we all became one big family. That was the best thing that could happen in my life, after my mom divorced my dad when I was still a baby..."

Ivy climbed down from the railing and decided to sit in my lap, looking up at me with a worried look on her face. "Nisiiiil?"

I smiled and petted her, then she suddenly took notice of my charm bracelet and started messing with it. "The fact that I'm going on this journey is really helping me. I'll be able to learn about truths about myself and other things, you know? But I do wonder how my sister's doing...I haven't heard from her in, like, 2 days..."

Tammy was quiet for a few moments, and I could hear her Swadloon adjusting its leaf cloak. She was probably mulling over what I just said, so I decided to somewhat change the subject.

"So you live here?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded "but I used to live in Lacunosa Town. We moved here to Nacrene City after my dad became one of Lenora's assistants. I've recently became a Trainer like you, but I started 3 months ago."

"You started 3 months ago?" I tilted my head. "How come you don't have a starter?"

"Oh, I have a starter. Blitz is." Tammy called to Blitz, who was (not surprisingly) her Blitzle. The little zebra Pokemon immediately came running to its Trainer. Tammy smiled and petted Blitz while it snorted with happiness. "Blitz, say hi to Penelope. I met her the other day."

Blitz's ears twitched as he sniffed at my feet for a bit. Seconds later, he was nuzzling at my hand like Panther would do whenever I cuddled with him. "Reeeiigh!"

I giggled. "Aw, he's so cute!"

"Isn't he?" Tammy cooed, while rubbing at Blitz' mane, not at all bothered that the static was making her hair go everywhere. "He was given to me when I was around 2 or 3. We were both babies, and since I couldn't really say his name, I just called him Blitz. The name stuck with him ever since. He was originally a house pet, but when it was time for me to start my journey, I couldn't find in myself to leave Blitz behind, nor could he see me leave, so I had him registered in my roster when I filled out my forms for the League."

"Oh, I did the same with Panther. I got him as a baby too, and he was a kitten then. He was a birthday gift, though. I didn't chose him as a my starter because I thought it would be unfair to use a pet Pokemon while my sister didn't have one. So we both agreed to get both of our starters from Professor Juniper when we started. But I don't regret my decision; Ivy's been such a great Pokemon!"

"Sniviiiiii!"

Tammy laughed while I gave Ivy some nutrient-based Pokemon Gummis for Grass types. After that, Tammy and I started talking while our Pokemon played with each other. It turns out that Tammy only had two Badges and was working on her third in Castelia, but had to return back to Nacrene due to a family emergency. It's over now, but she plans on leaving after spending another day or 2 with her family before going back. She caught her Munna in the Dreamyard before her Gym battle in Striaton, and caught her Watchog while it was still a Patrat just before she left for her second Badge. Her Swadloon was actually a sick Sewaddle she found in Pinwheel Forest while on her way to Castelia. She rushed it back to the Pokemon Center where she later learned that it was actually badly poisoned. Tammy stayed at the Center until the Sewaddle was back at full health, and she personally took it back to the forest after it was released. But the Sewaddle didn't want to leave Tammy after she saved its life, so it started following her around until she gave in and caught it.

By the time we both finished our drinks, it was close to 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I told Tammy I wanted to continue training, as well as looking for another Sawk before I called it a day.

"Well you can train with us," Tammy suggested "I have to get my team ready for our Gym battle against Burgh pretty soon. And I can help you look for another Pokemon while I'm at it, too!"

"You mean it? That'll really help me out a lot, Tammy!"

"And you'll help me out if you allow me to help you!" We laughed, but then Tammy's Watchog and Panther suddenly came running over to us while chattering.

"What's wrong you two?" I asked.

"Yeah, what's got you two so riled up?"

"Skree eetch, een tch!" Watchog chittered while pointing towards the forest. Tammy and I looked in the direction Watchog was pointing at, only to see a blue humanoid Pokemon with a x shaped scar on his face.

"Juan?" Tammy called.

"Tujaa." Juan came over to Tammy and I while Panther and Watchog hid behind our legs, while making threatening growling noises. Juan slightly glared at them, then looked at us innocently.

"I wonder if he was following us..." Tammy murmured.

"But why would he?" I blinked. "He's a wild Pokemon, isn't he?"

"Maybe he wanted to get some food from the cafe?"

"Maybe..." Juan didn't show any signs of leaving, so we decided that it probably wanted something to eat after all. I bought it some Pokemon food made for Fighting types and allowed him to eat while Tammy and I continued to discuss what we were going to do. It turns out that many Fighting types like Juan like to gather at the Challenge Rock to test their strength. They also like to hide in the darker tall grass rather than the normal colored, and a large group of them gather on certain days for their own battles. So it turned out that I was looking in the wrong places and left before I could fully explore the Marsh. Panther and Watchog - who is actually named Pluto - were keeping a close eye on Juan for whatever reason. Blitz, Munna and Swadloon seemed to have welcome Juan presence, and Ivy was just curious about him and was climbing all over him, but she seemed more interested in his scar.

"Since Blitz and Ivy are our starters, I figured that they could have the first battle. After all, Ivy's close to evolving isn't she?"

"Yup," I nodded "though I'm not entirely sure when. I believe that after another battle or 2 she will."

"Blitz still has a long way to go before he'll become a Zebstrika. And I noticed that your Purrloin isn't too far off from becoming a Liepard either.

"I know. But he has some ways to go before he evolves, though."

"So, what do you think? Wanna have the battle first or look for another Sawk before the battle?"

"I think it'll be better before we look for the Pokemon first and then have the battle. That way, we'll be able to train the new addition to the team while we train our Pokemon."

Tammy nodded and smiled. "That's a good idea. That way, we won't have to train twice."

"Exactly!"

"Dau kei!" Juan started to wave his hand in front of m face, which was a pet peeve of mine. I gently smacked his hand away and gave him a look.

"Not now, Juan! We don't have anymore food."

Juan gave me a look before he shook his head and pointed his thumb on his chest. "Kei ein uan jaa!"

"I think he's trying to tell you something, Penelope..." Tammy murmured.

_Yeah, but what exactly is he trying to tell me?_ I watched closely as Juan kept attempting to speak to me while making many gestures - mostly to himself - while Ivy was still on his shoulder. I could tell that it had something to do with him, and possibly me since I'm the only thing he seems interested in ever since I met him. Then I began to remember how I said I wanted a strong Fighting type Pokemon like him to add to me team and help me with my Gym battle, and how he looked like he wanted to follow me when I was going towards the cafe. So what if he's...

"Are you trying to say that...you want to be a part of my team?" I asked. Juan grew a wide grin before he nodded furiously.

"Ju daaii!"

"Awesome!" I immediately went into my bag and frantically looked for a Pokeball. I grabbed the first one my fingers touched, and I ended up getting a Great Ball. Ivy hopped off of his shoulder and returned to my side while I prepared to capture Juan.

"Ok, ready?"

Juan nodded firmly, still keeping his grin. I grinned back, then threw the Great Ball at him as softly as I could. The Ball hit him on his shoulder before it opened, turned Juan's body into energy and absorbed into the Ball. The device then fell to the ground where it began to shake while the light on the button blinked repeatedly. Seconds later, there was a click, the light stopped blinking, and the Ball stopped moving.

Juan was caught.

I could hardly contain myself as I ran over to the Great Ball, snatched it from the ground and nearly broke into song and dance. Sure catching a Pokemon wasn't a big deal, but I caught my favorite Pokemon. A Pokemon I vowed to have on my team. A Pokemon that was nearly my idol as I grew up. And it was now mine to love and care for.

"I can't believe it!" I squealed while Ivy was doing a dance number herself while Panther stood on his hind legs, looking proud. "I caught the coolest Pokemon ever!"

Some people who were out on the patio with us were watching, and they laughed and cheered at how I was able to catch Juan while some seemed a bit surprised to see a stranger catch a Pokemon that has been a part of their community for years. I _really_ hope I didn't break some sort of law by catching him.

"Congratulations, Penelope." Tammy smiled. "It's so weird though...I wondered why Juan chose you to be its Trainer..."

I shrugged before I let Juan out of his Pokeball again. "Maybe he just wants to help me through this Gym?"

"Who knows? The important thing is that he trusts you enough to capture him."

"And I'll take good care of you, Juan," I gushed at him "that is, until you're ready to go back to your old lifestyle, that is."

Juan shook his head and smiled. "Dai wuan ja."

"Heehee! Oh! Let me formally introduce you to your new teammates! You've obviously met Ivy and Panther, but now you will have the chance to get to know them more. You see, Panthers been with me for years, but I met Ivy a few days ago, and we're already so close!"

**. . .**

Concealing themselves in the forest, Aciri, Indigo and their teams watched the scene before them in secrecy. They had been following Penelope ever since they saw her in the Marsh to this point, where she had finally caught a Pokemon she has adored since childhood. It turned out that Juan wanted to prove that he was a strong Pokemon, and let his pride get in the way since he felt there was no other Sawk that was better than him. Too bad Penelope didn't know this, but it still seemed like Juan trusted her, and that was the important thing.

Indigo, recently learning that Penelope was Aciri's younger step-sister, didn't mind being dragged along as the latter wanted to see just what her little sister was up to. But it turns out that she didn't need to worry about her...Even in the tiny course of days, Penelope has obviously grown stronger, both physically and mentally.

Indigo just happened to look over at his shiny counterpart, only to see her smiling softy with her eyes slightly glazed. It was truly a heartwarming scene, but it touched her heart more to know that her sister could do just fine without her. It was bittersweet, but at the same time, a turning point for them both.

Aciri let out a cross between a sigh and a small laugh before she stood up, pulled up her pelt and started heading towards the west where Pinwheel Forest lay. Surprisingly, Lancelot or Gawain didn't follow, since they, along with the others, were perplexed by her slight change in behavior. Indigo made a face, unsure as to why she suddenly wanted to take off.

"Hey, where ya going?" he called. "I thought you wanted to check on your sister?"

Aciri paused for a moment, then slightly turned back towards the group, but not completely. "There's no need," she said in a soft tone "Penelope can take care of herself from here on out. Since she acted so childlike most of the time, I thought that she couldn't have gotten far with out me...But as you saw, she was here way before we were, and she's already shown signs of changing ever since we left home. And I think it's time for me to do the same."

Aciri then completely turned towards the group of Pokemon and smiled, with a new aura radiating off of her. "Besides, we're wasting daylight messing around out here. We need to make it to Castelia City before nightfall. But if we don't make it, we can always camp out in Pinwheel Forest. So...are we ready to go or what?"

The other Pokemon glanced at each other for a quick moment, but - as always - Lancelot walked over to Aciri and proudly stood by her side while mirroring her smile.

"Well, I'm ready when you are," he said casually.

"Me too!" Gawain exclaimed before he flew over to his former Trainer and perched on her crest this time. "I'll go wherever you go, Aciri!"

Indigo chuckled to himself, then walked over and placed his hand on Aciri's shoulder.

"Well hey, I gotta go with ya," he said "I got you into this mess, and I'm not goin' anywhere until I get you out of it. So I'm stickin' to ya like glue!" Raphael, Lassie and Lara-Lee soon followed, not only because their Trainer did, but because they wanted to help out their friends, both old and new.

"There's no way I'm lettin' you out of my sight ever again, Indigo," Raphael snorted.

"I vowed to follow you to the end's of the Earth until my last breath!" Lassie added.

"And I'm not passing up on this chance to go on an adventure with my new friends!" Lara-Lee exclaimed. Aciri looked at each of the Pokemon before her, almost wanting to shed tears of joy. But she held them in, and instead grew a wider smile before she pointed towards the west.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she said "Let's go!" Aciri and Indigo led their teams through the forest where the next leg of their journey was about to begin.

...However...they were all oblivious to the fact that, they too, were being watched. Invisible to everyone, a pair a green eyes watched both the human girls and the odd group of Pokemon high above in the trees. The being sat on one of the branches, taking note of all the beings that would be destined to meet her. However, now was not the time. The two sisters would have to reunite, the other female will have to accompany the younger sister, the former humans will have to meet the other Pokemon, and then two must meet up with them so they can form one giant team of their own. But this time was still far away...and the wheels of fate will have to be in their favor for this to work. And whether or not it goes as planned, it was all up to them at this point. All she could do now was watch, and observe.

The invisible creature levitated off from the branch and headed towards the cafe where Penelope and Tammy were. There was nothing she could do for the Pokemon, since they were about to learn the truth about what was to come. She will have to catch up to them later. Right now, she will have to watch over to two females and their Pokemon and see if they will decide follow the path to fate.

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><p><strong>EN:** The next chapter's going to be one of my favorites! and there might be a plot twist or two there as well.

Looks like Aciri, Indigo, Penelope and even Tammy have a new stalker. Looks like N and Team Plasma aren't the only thing they have to worry about!

Next chapter will be up sometime next week. THAT I promise.


	11. Lost and Found You

**A/N:** I had a slight internet blackout in the last few days. On top of that, I have had a lot of business to take care of, and then this chapter had went through so much editing that I ended up changing the entire thing from what it was the first time. Still, this chapter was fun to write; it's one of my favorites, actually. But when we reach Castelia City...oh boy, those chapters will be even more fun to write!

Anyway, so sorry for the long wait. I know I promised to have this update a week ago, but unexpected things came up and I simply couldn't update.

* * *

><p>Pinwheel Forest is one of the many natural wonders of Unova. Besides the fact that the forest was a huge natural maze, there was this mystical aura that could be felt the moment you stepped on its grass. It was an ideal season for the Bug and Grass type Pokemon who have made their homes here; Late spring and early summer were the ideal times for them to breed, as well as fertilizing the soil to give the trees and plants more nutrition to grow.<p>

Despite the fact that Pinwheel was a natural maze, a straight path was made that led directly to the Skyarrow Bridge, Unova's largest and longest bridge. It was mostly famous for its view of Castelia's skyline once you cross, but it would be a long trek for those who were on foot. Unless, by some sort of luck, a Trainer would have a bike or some sort of vehicle and simply ride over the bridge, getting to Castelia in little over 30 minutes.

However, the bridge was the very least of their problems. Aciri, Indigo and their respective Pokemon teams were forced to take the long way through the forest instead of the direct path. There were Trainers and Scientists on the main road, and they could put themselves at risk of getting captured. Fortunately for them, they haven't had any problems with the Pokemon who lived here. But that didn't help their main problem...

"Oh for Arceus' sake...we're LOST!" Lara-Lee wailed. As much as they didn't want to admit it, they were indeed lost. Indigo, Lassie and Raphael have been through the Forest once before, but they only took the direct path, not the forest path. Aciri, being a rookie Trainer, has never set foot in Pinwheel. Gawain and Lancelot were new to the area as well, since both of them came form entirely different areas than a forest. Downloading directions form the Xtransceiver was out of the question; Aciri couldn't get a signal no matter where she went. Lara-Lee definitely didn't know which way to go since she has been living in Wellspring Cave her entire life, so the group was reduced to just go down any random path they came upon. Unfortunately, they made them go around in a few circles that led them back to a large moss covered rock twice, and back to a patch of wild mushrooms at least 3 or 4 times.

And it didn't help that they were losing daylight. With only a few hours to spare before nightfall, getting to Castelia seemed bleak.

The group crawled through a fallen log that allowed them to go over a gap above a small river. This was the first time they've been through it, so they were making some progress. Once everyone was through, Gawain took the opportunity to fly above the trees to see just where they were. About a minute later, Gawain came flying form above, and perched on Aciri's crest once again.

"I could see the bridge from up there," he explained after everyone gathered "but we're at least a mile or so away."

Raphael looked up towards the sky - or where he _would_ see the sky if the trees were blocking most of it. The sky was already a deep orange color, and the sun was setting towards the east. Time was running short.

"And by the looks of it, we won't be able to get outta here until tomorrow," he said "We have no less than 2 more hours before nightfall."

"Well, we can keep going to see how far we'll get," Aciri suggested "That way, we'll have a little less ground to cover the next morning."

"Seems like the only thing we can do at the moment," Lancelot mused. He then lifted his nose into the air and sniffed it. "Hmm...I can smell salt water towards the northwest. That has to be where the bridge is, so we're going in the right direction."

"With all these thick trees in the way, it's hard to decide which way is which..." Indigo murmured "If there's sea water in the northwest...then we must be somewhere south. And by the looks of this path, we'll have to keep going south until we can go east, and then up north a little, and then to the west where the bridge is."

"Ugh, all this talk about directions is making my brain implode," Lara-Lee groaned. "Don't you humans have something that helps you navigate?"

"A compass?" Indigo said "No one uses a compass anymore, unless they're on a boat. With PokeGears, PokeNavs, Poketches and Xtranceivers, compasses are practically obsolete nowadays."

Lara-Lee pouted. "Well that sucks..."

Aciri and Indigo led their teams through some tall grass, passed some hollow stumps, and crossed another log-bridge before they noticed that the sun was just about gone. The sky was changing from orange to deep blue, along with some starts becoming visible. Time was definitely not on their side.

Still, they pressed on, trekking through tall grass, over fallen logs, through weeds, bushes and all kinds of other plants and vegetation. They stayed close to the river, figuring that since it flowed under the bridge on the straight path, it would lead them to a faster route out. They had just climbed over a ledge via 2 more logs when a thick fog rolled in, covering the entire forest with a blanket of mist.

"Well this is perfect!" Indigo growled "I can barely see my own hand in front of my face!"

"Where did this fog even come form?" Lassie wondered out loud "It seems so weird how it just rolled in out of nowhere..."

"It does seem farfetched," Lancelot agreed "And I can't sense any change in the weather to make it come in. Something's not right..."

"Um...I don't have good eyesight as it is," Lara-Lee murmured "and there's no way I'll be able to navigate through a fog this thick!"

"Well we gotta keep going regardless," Aciri urged, now beginning to walk ahead. "We will need to find a place for us to rest in safety since we'll be spending the night out here. We'll just have to remain vigilant."

It was too bad, but she was right. Night had already came, but the fog just added insult to injury. Since it was so thick, there was no way they would be able to navigate through it without getting lost or hurt. The trek to Castelia will have to wait until tomorrow after a good night of rest, and after the fog cleared up.

To ensure no one would get separated, the group held each other's hand or paw (or in Lassie's case, tail) as they tried to navigate through the fog. No one said anything to each other, so it was mostly quiet unless you didn't count the various cries from the wild Pokemon who lived in the forest. It wasn't long before the sun eventually disappeared over the horizon and it was now nighttime. Though, this was no surprise; they knew they wouldn't have made it to the bridge today. With the events that happened previously, and with the fact they gotten lost on more than one occasion, they were wasting the rest of the day away without much progress. The only thing they could do now was look for a safe place to rest before continuing the next morning.

They continued to walk, each of them making note that the fog only got thicker as they kept walking. It was then when Lancelot noticed that they were no more trees in their path; just tall grass, mushrooms...and stone stairs?

"What the...Guys, hold on a sec."

Aciri paused, causing the rest of the group to stop as well.

"What's up, Lance?" Indigo asked.

"Look." Lancelot waved his paw in front of him, gesturing to the change of scenery. "There are no trees in this area. On top of that, we're near a stair case and a pond that was never there before. We were following the river."

"Odd..." Aciri hummed "How did we get here?"

"The fog makes it difficult for us to see where we're going," Lassie noted "but it is weird that the river suddenly disappeared and we didn't notice until now."

"The air feels weird too," Lara-Lee murmured "Don't you feel it? It's like the air around us...shifted somehow." Everyone went quiet, and it wasn't long before they realized Lara-Lee was right. There _was_ something different about the air around them. But it wasn't "shifted." More like...mythical, as if they were in an area that was unknown of to other humans. The air was very light, despite that fact that it was blanketed in a thick fog in a dense forest. And the little pond next to them was crystal clear, with the only thing in it were the small lily pads on its surface.

"We're still in Pinwheel Forest," Gawain cooed "but I'm starting to believe we've wandered into a part of it we weren't supposed to go..."

Indigo raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" Gawain said nothing, almost as he was keeping something from them. But it wasn't just Gawain; the other Pokemon were acting the same way. Lancelot seemed uneasy, Raphael was showing signs of anxiety, Lassie was trying to hide whimpers, and Lara-Lee was looking towards the north, as if she could see something they couldn't. On top of that, the Pokemon have been eerily quiet. Yes, it was night out, but there were also nocturnal Pokemon like Venipede and Purrloin that liked to come out during this time, so you could still hear the cries of Pokemon. But now...it was almost like they were waiting, but for what? The only ones who left out of the loop were Aciri and Indigo, but that was obvious since they weren't Pokemon in the first place.

"Is there anyway we can get back to the main path?" Aciri asked, trying to somewhat change the subject.

"I don't think so," Lassie replied "I don't think we can go back at this point...we'll have to keep going forward."

"But which way_ is_ forward?" Indigo mumbled "I can barely tell my left from my right with this fog!"

"We can try this way," Lara-Lee said as she suddenly took the lead. She was heading towards the north - the same direction she was looking in that had the stone staircase. Oddly enough. the other Pokemon followed behind her without question, as if they knew where she was going. It was only to two humans who were skeptical about it, and suspicious about their Pokemon keeping something form them.

But they didn't know which way to go themselves. When your sight is obscured by thick fog, you can easily get lost in a huge forest that is famously known for being a maze. Besides, Pokemon have better senses than humans (besides psychics) since there are things they can see, feel, hear and detect things they could not. Perhaps they were over thinking it. Plus, it would be better to follow the Pokemon instead of standing there lost. They needed a safe place to stay for the night, and they were exposed out in the open.

Aciri and Indigo exchanged a quick glance before hurrying after their teams, wondering exactly where they were leading them. They passed the pond and went another small flight of stone steps, that seemed to have been faded away be erosion, now had moss and grass growing on them. As Aciri climbed the steps, she couldn't help but to feel as though she - or rather, them - were being watched. She turned, only to see the eyes of the forest Pokemon watching them with curious interest. This unsettled her, since the glow of theirs eyes make them look like something from a horror based survival movie she once saw. Now spooked, Aciri nearly ran up the stairs and unintentionally bumped into Indigo in the process. He was about to ask what was wrong, then changed his mind when he too saw the Pokemon watching them. Now nervous, he hurried after the other Pokemon.

"Where are we going?" Indigo asked, trying to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

"There." Lara-Lee replied, pointing towards an entrance into a clearing. The fog seemed to have cleared up just a bit here, but when they looked back, the fog is still just as thick as if it was never beginning to let up in the first place.

"Why in there?" Aciri asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Because someone wishes to see you both," someone hummed calmly. A Serperior slithered his way through the thicket and fog and towards the group of Pokemon. Though it didn't show any apprehensive emotions towards them, they all tensed when they met Serperior's sharp eyes. Still, as intimidating as it was, it was very elegant with its movements, and lived up to his title of being the Regal Pokemon.

"Excuse me?" Indigo asked as politely as he could, trying to hide his astonishment.

"You will soon be in the presence of one of the knights who were our saviors centuries ago," Serperior went on, almost gliding past them towards the clearing. "She was also one of the many who served under the and White King back when Unova was still in medieval times."

"White King..." Aciri echoed "You mean Reshiram, right?"

Indigo gave her a look of confusion. "Who?"

"You don't know about the legendary Pokemon Reshiram? The Vast White dragon? One of the founding kings of Unova?" Aciri asked, almost appalled.

Indigo held his hands up in defense. "Whoa, I came form Kanto, remember? The only legendaries I know of are Ho-oh, Mew and the three elemental birds."

"Reshiram is the white dragon of truth," Aciri went on and explain while they followed Serperior "He is one of the three dragons who created Unova."

"Three?" Indigo asked. "There's more?"

Aciri nodded. "Yes. He is only one of the Tao Trio. Along side him are Zekrom, the dragon of ideals and Kyurem."

Indigo thought it over. "So if Reshiram is the dragon of truth, and Zekrom is the dragon of ideals, then what's Kyurem?"

"Many say that he's the dragon of destruction," Aciri replied "and also known to be the monster that lives in the Giant Chasm near Lacunosa Town, reason being why there's that custom to never go out at night there. They said that if you do, you'll be taken away and eaten by Kyurem if you're ever caught. However, I have read in a few books that says Kyurem nearly froze over the entire region in order to rid it of its evil and corruption. And then there are others that says that it's actually an extraterrestrial Pokemon that came from a meteor, due to its type and the fact it's body resembles a rock.

"However, the legend says that all three were all once the same being, but they split into the main 2 dragons when two brothers caused a conflicted all over Unova. The brothers were both kings, but 1 of them sought truths while the other sought out ideals. Their Pokemon, which was the great dragon Pokemon of both, couldn't decide whose side to take since it was loyal to both brothers, so it split into the white dragon of truth Reshiram, and the black dragon of ideals, Zekrom.

"The brothers' conflict soon turn into an all out war. Reshiram's fire spread all over the land, scorching it until it was close to dead, while Zekrom's electricity reigned violent thunderstorms on the land and did just as much damage. Many were lost in the war - both humans and Pokemon - and the two dragons literally fought themselves to death, using up all their power and they went into a deep hibernation, turning their bodies into stones. The brothers, now realizing their mistakes, hid the stones away once the war was over to prevent anything like that to happen ever again. So Reshiram and Zekrom went into eternal sleep.

"But then, the brothers' sons started the conflict again years later. The oldest son was chosen by Reshiram since he sought truths, while Zekrom took the younger son's side since he sought ideals. The war started again, and Unova was - once again - nearly reduced to a burned and barren waste land. When Reshiram and Zekrom exhausted themselves into hibernation the second time, the sons hide them away again once they realized their mistakes. This time they didn't tell anywhere where, like their fathers did. They were feeling awfully guilty about the chaos they had caused for the people and the Pokemon, and they decided that they were not true heroes, even though they were able to bring Reshiram and Zekrom back. Since then, the two have been in deep hibernation, waiting for two more heroes to come by.

"Kyurem, however, had been watching both wars from within the Chasm. Infuriated by how the humans 'corrupted' his siblings and nearly destroyed the people and Pokemon, Kyurem covered the entire region in snow and ice, where blizzards blew everyday and froze over everything. Many froze to death or were forced to leave because the winter was so harsh and long, that there was nearly a time it lasted an entire year! Many people went to Kyurem's Chasm to ask him for its forgiveness so their suffering would end, but Kyurem had became too hostile, and those who sought him out never returned. Many say he ate them as punishment, but that has yet to be determined. Eventually, Kyurem himself tired himself out in order to keep the ice and snow going, and he too, turned into a stone and went into a deep slumber. It was then when the harsh winter finally ended, and the founding of Unova came afterwards. Thus, ending the legend that has been passed down for centuries."

"Wow," Indigo whistled.

"Indeed," Serperior nodded "Though, it is quite remarkable that someone like you can recite the legend so well."

"Something like that actually happened?" Indigo exclaimed.

"Of course!" Lancelot said "Why else would we address Zekrom and Reshiram as the Black and White Kings? Our ancestors served under them when war wasn't even thought of."

"And my kind were known to be seen with Reshiram when he took to the skies!" Gawain added with pride "We acted as his personal guards."

They had made it into the clearing, which was a perfect circle inside the trees. A fallen log and a stump were on the east and west sides, and many Pokemon from the forest were gathering within the trees. The fog was completely gone too; the quarter and a half moon could be seen up above, along with with star-filled night sky.

Serperior suddenly stopped - causing the group behind him to stop - before he looked around, slither forward, and bowed his head respectively.

"M'lady Virizion, I have brought them to you," he murmured. There was a silence for a few seconds, in the clearing, with the exception of silent whispering a mumbling coming from the other Pokemon. But it wasn't long before a silhouette of a deer-like Pokemon could be seen before them. It approached them, and Serperior moved the side so the Pokemon could get through. It stepped into the moonlight, revealing a green antelope Pokemon. She had horns with dull tips, a pink tipped leaf "scarf" on the sides of its neck, and she had pointed ends of fur on her back and a medium-long tail. Its legs resembled knee-high boots with pointed hooves that were black at the tip, and at the joints of her knees were pink highlights. Behind it were were a Leavanny, Lilligant, and Simisage that their their own pink tipped leaf scarves around their necks. The Pokemon of the forest, along with Aciri and Indigo's own Pokemon, bowed their heads in respect. Aciri did the same to be polite, and Indigo did so too, since he got the feeling he was in the presence of a legendary.

"Thank you, Serperior," Virzion said, before looking over at the group before her. She looked over each of them, before her gaze rested on Aciri and Indigo. "You two of altered shape, please step forward."

The two Scrafty exchanged looks before they stood up and took a few steps towards the legendary antelope. Virizion went up to them, lowered her head until she was at their height and looked them each dead in the eye. She released an amused hum before she stood back up straight, and actually smiled.

"Yes, these are the ones we have been seeking," she hummed "I welcome you all. This is Rumination Field, our humble adobe."

"It's an honor to meet you, Virizion," Aciri said, bowing again. "But what do you mean that we were the ones you were looking for?"

More of the Pokemon who were hiding in the trees began to come out. The bird and flying Pokemon rested on the branches while those who stayed on the ground were sitting or lying on the ground. Leavanny and Lilligant stayed at Virizion's side, but Simisage decided to perch in the tree that was above the one Serperior was under.

"As you may not know," Virizion began "There has been a number of disturbances in the natural order that many of us have felt recently. And you two are part of it." Aciri and Indigo's eyes widen in fear. "You have no need to be alarmed. You two were unintentionally brought into the situation."

"Does it have anything to do with the Confagrigus that did this to us?" Indigo asked.

Virizion nodded. "It does. Unfortunately, we do not know where a normal Pokemon like it would get such power. So, I, along with my two brothers, have sent various agents to the Desert Resort to investigate the phenomenon. Unfortunately, there are other beings - more humans like yourselves - who are messing around with the natural order as well. Though, there are two that we are worried about...Anyway, that does not concern you. You need to focus on getting your original shapes back."

"But I thought you hated humans?" Aciri asked "If I remember correctly, you, along with Cobalion and Terrakion, went into hiding away from humans because of how they made Pokemon suffer centuries ago when a fire ravaged a forest..."

Virizion closed her eyes for moment, having the memories of the burning forest, as well as the foolish humans who caused it, come back to her mind again. "I do," she murmured quietly "However...there is a 'friend' that has been telling me all about you two, especially your bonds with your Pokemon and how they have became stronger ever since you transformed. I had my doubts, but at the same time, this couldn't be left unattended. But, I will admit that your bonds with one another are something that is to be applauded. Especially for you, boy."

Indigo shifted a bit. "Why me?"

"You put your partners' wellbeing before your own, sending them away to safety when you were affected by this curse. You were willing to brave the harshness of the world in your altered form, without any real direction to go for help, especially in an unfamiliar body. Plus, you protect others in place of your own safety, which leads to rash and impulsive decisions that will get you hurt."

"But how do you..."

"Remember when I said I had a friend who has been telling me about you?" Both Scrafty nodded. "As you should know, we have various connections with other legendaries like myself and my brothers. If one of us can't watch over something, then the other will take our place. That is why each of us are placed around the world, in each region. Arceus can't keep tabs on everything that happens on this Earth, so it is our job - as his children - to take care of this world for him that he so lovingly created, and that goes for every living creature who walks on its soil...

"Also, the circumstances you two are in could not be ignored either. That fact that you two have been affected with forbidden magic is an issue that must be tended to immediately. The Confagrigus that you referred to is acting strangely, and we can feel it. But none of you shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place..."

"Um," Lancelot nervously stepped forward. "Miss Virizion? I couldn't help but to feel that we...were guided here. Do you have anything to do with that?"

"I got that feeling too," Raphael nodded "especially when that fog rolled in."

"It was the only way I would be able to lead you here in secrecy," Virizion replied "There were still humans in the area, and I had to pull the wool over their eyes somehow. But now we must discuss the reason you are here..." Now more Pokemon were out in the field, mumbling and whispering amongst themselves still. "First, I will tell you this; there _is_ a way to get your bodies back."

"We know," Aciri nodded "We need to get to the Celestial Tower, right?"

Virizion gave them a look like they were crazy. "Whatever gave you an outlandish idea like that?"

"Indigo told us that when he was cursed, a Chandelure told him that he needed to take a pure hearted maiden to the Celestial Tower with him if he wanted his body back..." Gawain explained.

"Mmm...I'm afraid you were lied to."

Both Scrafty's hearts fell. "...What?"

"Did you two honestly believe that following a Chandelure to the Tower would help you regain your bodies?"

"W-well, it was the only lead we had!" Indigo stammered "I was scared and desperate, so I figured it was telling the truth!"

"That Chandelure was most likely going to kill you," Virizion said firmly "You should know better than to trust a Ghost type. It would've led you to the tower, stolen your souls and sent you both to Giratina! Be glad I have stopped you from losing your lives!"

Everyone in the group flinched at how Virizion had raised her voice, but she was only telling them the truth, as well as trying to get her point across.

"W-we deeply apologize," Aciri gulped "I should've known that...but like Indigo said, we were scared and desperate, and willing to do anything to reverse the affect."

"Understandable," Virizion nodded "just be more careful on who you trust next time. In the mean time...why don't you all tell me exactly who you are?"

Aciri, Indigo and their respective Pokemon spent about an hour or more explaining their identities. Aciri had told her life story on how she originally came from Johto, but was forced to move after her father death. Since then, she has been many hours in books, learning about every Pokemon in each region to keep her mind off her father. However, in the recent years, she gained a step-father, along with a step-sister, who has also started her Journey. She always wanted to be a Pokemon Trainer, but didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. The only reason she entered the League was to test her knowledge, as well as see what her battle and training style was. She even explained how much she loved Pokemon, and did all she could for Lancelot and Gawain.

Indigo, like Aciri, is a rookie Trainer who came over from Kanto the moment he was able to become a Trainer. However, he also comes from a wealthy family. His father's side of the family happens to be the very ones who built and founded the Indigo League in both Kanto and Johto. His father has inherited his forefathers' wealth, but he also keeps tabs on the Indigo League like Indigo's grandfather did before him, which is where Indigo's family name came from. His mother is going to medical school to become a doctor, and is close to graduating in the next year or so. Both of Indigo's parents want him to keep the family line going with him looking after the League when he becomes an adult, but he wanted to find a path for himself, and that led him to leave his home region and come to Unova. He also loves his Pokemon like another family like Aciri does, but admitted that he was dependent on them because, deep down, he was afraid of the outside world he had to face, and relied on his Pokemon for his strength and courage. It was only until now after he was cursed that he learned to rely on his own strength and support his Pokemon more.

Even their Pokemon had their chance to tell Virizion - as well as the other Pokemon - how they met their Trainers and their past lives. Lancelot and told him how he was originally born in the wild, but was rescued after his mother almost died when poachers attacked her. He doesn't know what really happened to his younger brother, but he believes he is still with their mom. Gawain also told how he was released by an irresponsible Trainer and almost killed by a predatory Pokemon, but guided Indigo to Aciri after hearing each other's plight. The only reason he became Aciri's Pokemon and not Indigo's, is because she had offered it to him. He could've said no, but when he saw how happy Lancelot was with her, he couldn't refuse.

Raphael told his life story on how he was born and taken care of my a Pokemon Breeder and his Leavanny. He was eventually sent to Professor Juniper's lab to become a starter, and it was after a month with the Professor that Indigo came along and chose him to be his first Pokemon. He will admit that Indigo has his flaws, but no one's perfect. He always saw Indigo as an older brother and a best friend, even though he was so inexperienced. It was until recently that Raphael's bond with Indigo grew, after he learned that Indigo knew his mistakes and tried to apologize. But he was loyal, and wasn't going to leave his Trainer's side for anything.

Lassie was a wild Lilipup when she met Indigo, but he had made no effort to capture her when they first met. Lassie was playing near a river on Route 1, which was the same Route Indigo was training Raphael on. Unfortunately, Lassie grew careless, and fell in a nearby river. She was practically a baby back then and didn't know how to swim, and Indigo had heard her cries an came to her rescue. He dove into the water to saved her before she drowned, and rushed her to the nearest Pokemon Center so she could be treated. Indigo didn't leave her side neither, staying by the pup's bedside until she was well enough to be released. Lassie was touched by Indigo's loyalty, and grew a fondness for him since that day. Even when Indigo took her back to Route 1, she followed him from the Route, to Accumula Town and even to Route 2 until he finally gave in and caught her. She wasn't fully aware of his faults until Raphael had brought it up to her, but still looked past them because she cared too much for Indigo.

And finally, Lara-Lee explained on how she had recently joined the group. After being coddled in Wellspring Cave for so long, she didn't know what life was out in the outside world. Of course, she had heard of humans and Pokemon being together, but wasn't sure if she should be one of them, due to a fear of being captured by a bad Trainer. It wasn't until she witnessed Indigo's bravery when they fought off Team Plasma in the cave, and suddenly had to urge to help out. It wasn't until when the Plasma Grunts almost captured them when Lara-Lre decided into intervene by using Dig right under the Grunts. After she saved them, she then learned about how both Aciri and Indigo were originally humans, and were on a quest to get their bodies back. Lara-Lee then saw this as her way out of her coddled state, as well as an opportunity to see what it was like to be with a Trainer, and see the outside world. She became Indigo's Pokemon because she was moved by how Indigo put his friends' safety before his own. she's been with the group since.

"We've just left Nacrene City a few hours ago," Aciri explained, finishing up the tale "and we were on our way to Castelia City. But a few things came up, and we ended up behind schedule. And...here we are."

Virizion was lying in the grass, listening intently to each of their tales. The other Pokemon were listening too, seemed to be fascinated with the new Pokemon's backgrounds. A few of them even came over to investigate them more. A Sewaddle seemed to be content with resting in Indigo's lap, while a Purrloin and Patrat sniffed at him, there was an Elgyem hovering around Aciri, a Pansear and Panpour were picking fleas out of Lancelot and Pignite's fur, Gawain was playing with a few Pidove, and Lara-Lee had a Venipede feeling around her feet.

"Seems like you all had one heck of an adventure," the Simisage chuckled, now eating an apple.

"Yeah, it's been crazy," Indigo admitted "but, it's been a learning experience at the same time. The world looks so different when you see it through the eyes of a Pokemon. It's so much bigger, scarier, and more dangerous. But at the same time, I have learned so many things about my Pokemon, and many others. And then there's the fact that I can do things I couldn't do as a human. Talking to Pokemon is a big one, followed by meeting a legendary...I wouldn't have known of your existence, or your importance, if I wasn't here right now."

"Your perspective about a lot of things change," Aciri added, allowing the Elgyem to sit in her lap "I know some of mine have in the last few days..."

Virizion hummed a little while shifting in the grass a little. "I never thought in all my years of living, I would meet a lot like you," she murmured, but in a kind, and respectful kind of way. "I always thought humans were these wicked creatures, out to hurt Arceus' children, even after he so graciously allowed them to walk on this planet with us. But you two...you're different. Very different from what I have known."

"Times have changed," Liligant said softly "though I never came in contact with any, I know a lot of humans care deeply for Pokemon, and would never hurt them."

"And that's the reason we stay by our Trainer's side," Lancelot noted "It's not because they have captured us, or claimed us as their property by using a Pokeball, but because they have earned our trust, our love, our loyalty, and our respect. I will openly admit that I didn't know what to expect when I first met Aciri, but she looked so happy to see me when I came out of my Ball...I had to see what she was like."

"That reminds me," Virizion said "I need to tell you all a few things." The Poke-group had their full attention on Virizion now. "The future holds many uncertainties and many, many twists and turns. But if you wish you follow the path of fate, then listen." They nodded firmly. "If you wish to regain your bodies back, you must find a certain Pokemon and have her heal your souls. But in order to do that, you must become stronger, as well as have other Pokemon join your ranks, and meet up with old friends. But in the mean time, you all must stay here in Rumination Field and train before you continue on. It shouldn't take long; just a few days. I, along with the other Pokemon, will assist in your training. You can't rely on your partners to fight your battles now. Since you are Pokemon, you must act like Pokemon. When those few days are up, you will continue on to the city that lies beyond the forest. There, you will meet new and possibly old allies. When that happens, you must cross the desert to the other side where you will face more challenges. The rest is up to you, I'm afraid."

Aciri and Indigo looked at each other for a brief moment while their Pokemon thought about what was just said. But since there was nothing they could really do about it right now, they just took Virizion's words to heart, to remember later.

"We appreciate all you have done for us, Virizion," Lancelot bowed "We are truly in your debt."

Virizion smiled. "Don't be. After all, we Pokemon - and humans - need to look out for one another. But the hour is late." The green musket-deer got back to her feet. "You all will have a busy day tomorrow, so you must get your rest." And with that, Virizion went back into the deeper part of the Field, where she was going to retire for the night. The other Pokemon followed begin Virizion; many were going back to their respective dens, burrows or nests to rest. Liligant and Simisage stayed to make sure the newcomers had a place to sleep before leaving as well. Each of them decided to sleep in a grass patch that was spread out through the Field. Indigo slept with his Pokemon while Aciri's Pokemon slept next to her (aside form Gawain who perched himself on a branch). The Elgyem hadn't left Aciri's side for some reason, and decided to sleep with her also. It wasn't long before the Field, and then the entire forest, went silent.

**. . .**

It was hard to tell what time it was; Aciri had left all of her equipment in her bag, which was resting against a tree where she was supposed to be sleeping her her Pokemon.

But she couldn't sleep.

She guessed by the positioning of the moon that it was probably a little after midnight, but she was never good at telling time without a watch. She sat there on the stump, looking up at the night sky, having a lot of things going through her mind. She wondered how her mom was doing, if she was worried after not hearing from her for the last few days. And she wondered about how Penelope was doing without her. Sure she had saw how much she had grown back in Nacrene, but that didn't mean she could take care of herself. And has she tried to contact Aciri recently? If so, was she also worried? There were so many unknowns, and there was no telling how long it was going to be before she could be human again. And what exactly did Virizion mean that they will meet new and old allies in Castelia City? Argh, thinking so hard about it was making her head hurt...

"Is something troubling you?" Aciri turned to see Virizion walking over to her, with the Elgyem on her back. It eventually got off Virizion's back and floated over to the Scrafty, and decided to cling to her shoulders.

"Virizion?" Aciri asked "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No. I'm usually up this time of night, making rounds around the forest to make sure everyone is alright. I just got back, and I noticed you were up."

"Oh...well, I just can't sleep s'all..." Virizion stood next to Aciri and stayed silent for a few minutes while looking at her. She could tell that there was a lot on the girl's mind, and wanted to see if she would be open about it. But by the looks of it, she was going to keep quiet about it.

"You must have a lot on your mind," Virizion said casually. Aciri didn't say anything for a few seconds, then sighed.

"I do," she moaned "I'm worried about my little sister...and my parents...I wonder if they're wondering why I haven't contacted them in the last few days, or if they're worried about me...I don't want to get them involved, but I can't help but to feel a certain way...Like, what if I don't get my body back at all?"

"You _will_," Virizion said firmly "and stop thinking on the 'what if's of the near future. Nothing can determine your fate unless you take action and decide your fate for yourself. Only you can determine if you will get your body back or not, and you can't rely on an outside force to determine that for you."

"I know...I just..." Aciri twiddled her thumbs a bit "I can't help but to worry, you know? Even if I do decide what to do with my fate, the future is still unknown..."

"Then let me ask you this," Virizion went on "What will you do when you become human again?"

"I honestly don't know," Aciri replied "I only entered the League to become stronger so that I could face any challenge that might come around...But as far as what I plan on doing with my life after this, I really don't know..."

"You're too smart to not know what is it you want out of life. There must be _some_thing you can do."

Aciri laughed a little. "You sound just like my mom. She said the same thing when I was younger. But I have been thinking about what I want to do...Maybe I'll become a Pokemon Researcher or a Professor. I've always been a bookwurmple, but even though I know about all the Pokemon in existence, I know there are still things about them I have yet to find out."

"That seems nice," Virizion nodded "but may I ask a favor of you?"

Aciri looked up at the legendary, surprised by a request. "Y-yes?"

"When you return to your former self, please come back to see me." And with that, Virizion went on her way, back into the deeper parts of Rumination Field, like she did before. Aciri watched her leave, wondering why a Pokemon like her would suddenly ask such a thing to her. It only added more questions in her mind, which she decided to think about later. Elgyem, who was levitating again, pulled at Aciri's hood while pointing back over to Lancelot, who was sound asleep. Taking this as a sign that they both needed to go back to sleep, Aciri got down from the stump and went back over to the patch of grass, where she lied next to her Dewott again with Elgyem. But this time, she was able to drift off into the restful state that she needed.

* * *

><p><strong>EN:** I made up the "bookwurmple" term as a Pokemon counterpart to "bookworm." Wurmple is a Bug type Pokemon in Hoenn, which is just a red poisonous caterpillar. I thought it would be cute.

So, I have already decided what Aciri and Indigo's final team would be, but I'm not saying what it is quite yet. Plus, I added that part about Indigo's family having a part of founding the Indigo League and Kanto and Johto. Honestly, why else would his name be Indigo Blue? XD Also there will be a few typos and grammar mistakes here and there since it has taken me so long to edit this, and I'm pretty tired. I wanted to make up for not updating last week like I wanted to, but like I said before, unexpected complications had came up that prevented me from updating. And for that, I apologize.

This time, I won't be making any promises on when I'll update, but I'm hoping it'll be fairly soon. But, considering that I still have some business to take care of next week, I wouldn't get my hopes up. I will say that I do enjoy making the series (which I am considering about rewriting), but with the long chapters and the limited time I have on the computer for the last week, it's been tough. But I am glad there are people out there who are reading and enjoying the series. I hope you'll keep reading it until the very end! :)

P.S. If anyone's interested, I do have an Animal Crossing underway. It will have heartache, romance and maaaybe a little bit of comedy. So, if anyone's interested, look out for it.


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